Surah 26. Ash-Shu'ara

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Verses [Section]: 1-9[1], 10-33 [2], 34-51 [3], 52-68 [4], 69-104 [5], 105-122 [6], 123-140 [7], 141-159 [8], 160-175 [9], 176-191 [10], 192-227 [11]

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Quran Text of Verse 192-227وَ اِنَّهٗAnd indeed itلَتَنْزِیْلُsurely is a Revelationرَبِّ(of the) Lordالْعٰلَمِیْنَؕ(of) the worlds نَزَلَHas brought it downبِهِHas brought it downالرُّوْحُthe Spiritالْاَمِیْنُۙ[the] Trustworthy عَلٰیUponقَلْبِكَyour heartلِتَكُوْنَthat you may beمِنَofالْمُنْذِرِیْنَ the warners بِلِسَانٍIn languageعَرَبِیٍّArabicمُّبِیْنٍؕclear وَ اِنَّهٗAnd indeed itلَفِیْsurely (is) inزُبُرِ(the) Scripturesالْاَوَّلِیْنَ (of) the former (people) اَوَ لَمْIs it notیَكُنْIs it notلَّهُمْto themاٰیَةًa signاَنْthatیَّعْلَمَهٗknow itعُلَمٰٓؤُا(the) scholarsبَنِیْۤ(of the) Childrenاِسْرَآءِیْلَؕ(of) Israel وَ لَوْAnd ifنَزَّلْنٰهُWe (had) revealed itعَلٰیtoبَعْضِanyالْاَعْجَمِیْنَۙ(of) the non-Arabs فَقَرَاَهٗAnd he (had) recited itعَلَیْهِمْto themمَّاnotكَانُوْاthey wouldبِهٖin itمُؤْمِنِیْنَؕ(be) believers كَذٰلِكَThusسَلَكْنٰهُWe have inserted itفِیْintoقُلُوْبِ(the) heartsالْمُجْرِمِیْنَؕ(of) the criminals لَاNotیُؤْمِنُوْنَthey will believeبِهٖin itحَتّٰیuntilیَرَوُاthey seeالْعَذَابَthe punishmentالْاَلِیْمَۙ[the] painful فَیَاْتِیَهُمْAnd it will come to themبَغْتَةًsuddenlyوَّ هُمْwhile theyلَا(do) notیَشْعُرُوْنَۙperceive فَیَقُوْلُوْاThen they will sayهَلْAreنَحْنُweمُنْظَرُوْنَؕ(to be) reprieved اَفَبِعَذَابِنَاSo is it for Our punishmentیَسْتَعْجِلُوْنَ they wish to hasten اَفَرَءَیْتَThen have you seenاِنْifمَّتَّعْنٰهُمْWe let them enjoyسِنِیْنَۙ(for) years ثُمَّThenجَآءَهُمْcomes to themمَّاwhatكَانُوْاthey wereیُوْعَدُوْنَۙpromised 26. Ash-Shu'ara Page 376مَاۤNotاَغْنٰی(will) availعَنْهُمْthemمَّاwhatكَانُوْاenjoyment they were givenیُمَتَّعُوْنَؕenjoyment they were given وَ مَاۤAnd notاَهْلَكْنَاWe destroyedمِنْanyقَرْیَةٍtownاِلَّاbutلَهَاit hadمُنْذِرُوْنَwarners ذِكْرٰی ۛ۫(To) remindوَ مَاand notكُنَّاWe areظٰلِمِیْنَ unjust وَ مَاAnd notتَنَزَّلَتْhave brought it downبِهِhave brought it downالشَّیٰطِیْنُ the devils وَ مَاAnd notیَنْۢبَغِیْ(it) suitsلَهُمْ[for] themوَ مَاand notیَسْتَطِیْعُوْنَؕthey are able اِنَّهُمْIndeed theyعَنِfromالسَّمْعِthe hearingلَمَعْزُوْلُوْنَؕ(are) surely banished فَلَاSo (do) notتَدْعُinvokeمَعَwithاللّٰهِAllahاِلٰهًاgodاٰخَرَanotherفَتَكُوْنَlest you beمِنَofالْمُعَذَّبِیْنَۚthose punished وَ اَنْذِرْAnd warnعَشِیْرَتَكَyour kindredالْاَقْرَبِیْنَۙ[the] closest وَ اخْفِضْAnd lowerجَنَاحَكَyour wingلِمَنِto (those) whoاتَّبَعَكَfollow youمِنَofالْمُؤْمِنِیْنَۚthe believers فَاِنْThen ifعَصَوْكَthey disobey youفَقُلْthen sayاِنِّیْIndeed I amبَرِیْٓءٌinnocentمِّمَّاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَۚyou do وَ تَوَكَّلْAnd put (your) trustعَلَیinالْعَزِیْزِthe All-Mightyالرَّحِیْمِۙthe Most Merciful الَّذِیْThe One Whoیَرٰىكَsees youحِیْنَwhenتَقُوْمُۙyou stand up وَ تَقَلُّبَكَAnd your movementsفِیamongالسّٰجِدِیْنَ those who prostrate اِنَّهٗIndeed HeهُوَHeالسَّمِیْعُ(is) the All-Hearerالْعَلِیْمُ the All-Knower هَلْShallاُنَبِّئُكُمْI inform youعَلٰیuponمَنْwhomتَنَزَّلُdescendالشَّیٰطِیْنُؕthe devils تَنَزَّلُThey descendعَلٰیuponكُلِّeveryاَفَّاكٍliarاَثِیْمٍۙsinful یُّلْقُوْنَThey pass onالسَّمْعَ(what is) heardوَ اَكْثَرُهُمْand most of themكٰذِبُوْنَؕ(are) liars وَ الشُّعَرَآءُAnd the poetsیَتَّبِعُهُمُfollow themالْغَاوٗنَؕthe deviators اَلَمْDo notتَرَyou seeاَنَّهُمْthat theyفِیْinكُلِّeveryوَادٍvalleyیَّهِیْمُوْنَۙ[they] roam وَ اَنَّهُمْAnd that theyیَقُوْلُوْنَsayمَاwhatلَاnotیَفْعَلُوْنَۙthey do اِلَّاExceptالَّذِیْنَthose whoاٰمَنُوْاbelieveوَ عَمِلُواand doالصّٰلِحٰتِrighteous deedsوَ ذَكَرُواand rememberاللّٰهَAllahكَثِیْرًاmuchوَّ انْتَصَرُوْاand defend themselvesمِنْۢafterبَعْدِafterمَاafterظُلِمُوْا ؕthey were wrongedوَ سَیَعْلَمُAnd will come to knowالَّذِیْنَthose whoظَلَمُوْۤاhave wrongedاَیَّ(to) whatمُنْقَلَبٍreturnیَّنْقَلِبُوْنَ۠they will return

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Translation of Verse 192-227

(26:192) Indeed this¹¹⁸ is a revelation from the Lord of the Universe;¹¹⁹

(26:193) which the truthful spirit¹²⁰ has carried down

(26:194) to your heart that you might become one of those who warn (others on behalf of Allah),

(26:195) (a revelation) in clear Arabic language,¹²¹

(26:196) (a revelation embodied) in the scriptures of the ancients.¹²²

(26:197) Is it not a Sign to them � (to wit, the Makkans) � that the learned men of the Children of Israel know that?¹²³

(26:198) (But such is their adamance) that had We revealed it to one of the non-Arabs and even if he had recited(this clear Arabic discourse) to them

(26:199) they would still not have believed in it.¹²⁴

(26:200) Thus have We caused this (Admonition) to penetrate the hearts of the culprits (like a hot rod).¹²⁵

(26:201) They will not believe in it until they clearly see the grievous chastisement.¹²⁶

(26:202) But when it comes upon them suddenly, taking them unawares,

(26:203) they say: "Can we be granted some respite?"¹²⁷

(26:204) Do they really want Our chastisement to be expedited?

(26:205) Did you consider that if We were to let them enjoy life for many years

(26:206) and then the chastisement of which they were being warned were to come upon them,

(26:207) of what avail will be the provisions of life which they have been granted to enjoy?¹²⁸

(26:208) We never destroyed any habitation but that it had warners

(26:209) to admonish them. We have never been unjust.¹²⁹

(26:210) The satans¹³⁰ did not bring down this (Clear Book),

(26:211) nor does it behove them,¹³¹ nor does it lie in their power.¹³²

(26:212) Indeed they are debarred from even hearing it.¹³³

(26:213) So do not call any other god beside Allah lest you become of those who will be punished,¹³⁴

(26:214) and warn your nearest kinsmen;¹³⁵

(26:215) and be meek to the believers who follow you.

(26:216) Then if they disobey you say to them: "I am quit of what you do."¹³⁶

(26:217) And put your trust in Him Who is Immensely Mighty, Most Compassionate,¹³⁷

(26:218) Who observes you when you rise (to pray)¹³⁸

(26:219) and observes your movements among those who prostrate themselves.¹³⁹

(26:220) He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

(26:221) O people, shall I tell you on whom it is that satans descend?

(26:222) They descend on every forgerer steeped in sin,¹⁴⁰

(26:223) on those who whisper hearsay in the ears of people; and most of them are liars.¹⁴¹

(26:224) As for poets, only the wayward follow them.¹⁴²

(26:225) Do you not see that they wander about in every valley¹⁴³

(26:226) and say things which they do not act upon,¹⁴⁴

(26:227) except those who believed and acted righteously and remembered Allah much, and when they themselves were subjected to wrong, they exacted retribution no more than to the extent of the wrong?¹⁴⁵ Soon will the wrong-doers know the end that they shall reach.¹⁴⁶

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Commentary

118. After the end of this historical narrative, the remaining verses of the surah concern themselves again with the Subject matter with which it began for reference, see verses 1-9.

119. This “Clear Book” whose verses are being recited and this “Remembrance” from which people were turning away was not the work of any human being; not even of Muhammad (peace be on him). Instead, it was sent down by the Lord of the Universe.

120. That is, Gabriel. As mentioned in Surah al-Baqarah: “Say:.‘Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel (should know that) he revealed this (Qur’an) to your heart by Allah’s leave: it confirms the Scriptures revealed before it and is a guidance and good tiding to the men of Faith’” (2:97). But here, instead of using his name, Gabriel is referred to as “the truthful spirit” because the purpose is to Stress that the medium of transmission used by the Lord of the Universe was a pure spirit, who transmits whatever he receives and who cannot omit anything from it.

121, The phrase “in clear Arabic language” could either be a reference to the “truthful spirit” or to “one of those who warn”. In the first instance, it would mean that the truthful spirit, i.e. Gabriel, brought the Qur’an down in clear Arabic. In the second instance, it would mean that Muhammad (peace be on him) was among those Prophets - Hud, Salih, Ismail and Shu ‘ayb - who were appointed to warn people in the Arabic language. In both cases, the meaning is substantively the same: that this Message from the Lord of the Universe has not come in any dead, incomprehensible language. Nor does this Message consist of riddles and enigmas. Instead, it is presented in clear and eloquent Arabic which can be comprehended by everyone who understands that language. Therefore, those who turn away from it have no excuse if they argue that the Message was presented in a language they did not know. If they still turn from it, they do so simply because they are afflicted by the same disease as the Pharaoh of Egypt, and the peoples of Abraham, Noah, Lot, the ‘Ad, the Thamud and Aykah.

122. The same message, the same Revelation, and the same Divine teachings can be found in all the previous Scriptures. The same call to worship the One True God, the same belief in the Hereafter, and the same invitation to follow the Prophets were also stressed in those earlier Scriptures. All the Books which have come down from God denounce associating others with Him in His Divinity. All of them ask people to shun materialism. All call people to the True Path which is inextricably linked with the idea of man’s accountability to God. All demand from man one and the same thing: that he should give up all notions of his own sovereignty in deference to the Divine commands brought by the Prophets. In this respect, there is nothing novel in the Qur’an; there is nothing in it which was not part of the teachings of the previous Prophets.

This verse constitutes one of the arguments adduced in support of Abu Hanifah’s initial opinion that if someone recites the Qur’an in translation in his Prayer, the Prayer is valid, whether or not that person is capable of reciting the Qur’an in Arabic. According to Abu Bakr al-Jassas, the basis of this argument is that what God says in the Qur’an was also said by Him in previous Scriptures for, quite obviously, these were not delivered in Arabic. Hence, to translate its teachings in any other language does not exclude it from being a part of the Qur’an. (See Jassas, Ahkam al-Qur'an, Vol. 3, p. 348.).

The weakness of this argument, however, is self-evident. Whether it is the Qur’an or any other Scripture, the text of these sacred Books was not so revealed to the Prophets with meanings which the respective Prophets expressed in their own words. Rather, both the text and the meaning came together. and their source was God Himself. Therefore, the teachings of the Qur’an which were part of the earlier Scriptures were not couched in human words but in God’s Words and, hence, no translation of these Books can be called the “Book of God”, As for the Qur’an, it has been said with great emphasis, over and over again, that it was revealed in “clear Arabic”: “We have revealed it as a Recitation in Arabic that you [the people of Arabia] may fully understand” (Yusuf 12:2); “And it is with the same directive that We revealed to you this Arabic Writ. » (al-Ra ‘d 13:37). Likewise, there is also mention of “... an Arabic Qur’an ‘in which there is no crookedness ...” (al-Zumar 39:28). Moreover, just before the present verse, it is said that the “truthful spirit” brought it down in clear Arabic language. How can we say, then, that its translation, which is a human construct in another language, will still be the Qur’an, and that those words will be the equivalent of God’s? It seems that after realizing the weakness of his argument, Abu Hanifah modified his position and accepted the standpoint of Aba Yusuf and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani. According to them, if a person is incapable of reciting the Qur’an in Arabic, he-may recite its translation in Prayer until he is capable of reciting it in Arabic. However, as for a person who can recite the Qur’an in Arabic, his Prayer will be invalid if he recites it in translation.

Abu Yusuf and Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Shaybani proposed this temporary concession for those non-Arabic speaking converts alone who were unable to offer their Prayers in Arabic immediately after their conversion. The basis of their concession, however, was not that the translation of the Qur’an was equivalent to the Qur’an per se. Their concession was rather based on the analogy of the person who is incapable of performing sajdah or ruku and who may do so merely through Signs. Using this analogy, they said that he who is incapable of praying in Arabic may perform the Prayer by reciting some Qur’anic verses in translation. However, as soon.as he is capable of performing sajdah and ruku‘, he is obliged to perform them in the required manner, and if he fails to make sajdah etc. after he becomes capable of doing so, then his Prayer is invalid. Likewise, in order for the Prayer to be valid, the person who can recite the Qur’an in Arabic must do so otherwise his Prayer is invalid. (For a detailed discussion of this Shams al-Din al-Sarakhsi, al-Mabsut , Vol. I, pp. 36-7; see also Kamil al-Din Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahid, Fath al-Qadir, Vol. 1, pp. 247-8; Quetta, al-Maktabah al- Rashidiyah, n.d. and Akmal al-Din Muhammad ibn Mahmud, al-‘Inayah Sharh al-Hidayah, Vol. 1, pp. 190-201.)

123. The Jewish religious scholars knew that the Message of the Qur’an was identical with that of previous Scriptures. The Makkans may not have been well acquainted with those earlier teachings but there were many Jewish religious scholars around them who knew that the Message brought by Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah (peace be on him) was neither novel nor strange.

The same Message had been expounded down the ages by a whole chain of Messengers. Was this not enough then to satisfy them that the Qur’an too was from the same Lord of the Universe, from He Who had revealed all previous Scriptures? We know from Ibn Hisham’s well-known Sirah that around the time these verses were revealed, a deputation of 20 men from Abyssinia visited Makka at the invitation of Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib. They asked the Prophet (peace be on him) in al-Masjid al-Haram in the presence of the Makkan unbelievers about his Message. In response, the Prophet (peace be on him) recited a few verses of the Qur’an. When they heard these, they began to cry, tears flowing down their cheeks. They then immediately testified to the truth of his Prophet hood and became Muslims. Soon after they left the Prophet (peace be on him), and Abu Jahl, together with a few other Quraysh, met the Abyssinians and rebuked them, saying: “Never has a more foolish caravan come here before. Wretches, your people sent you to inquire about this man’s circumstances, but you simply met him and gave up your religion!” The-Abyssinians were a refined people. Instead of arguing with Abu Jahl, they withdrew, saying: “We do not want to argue with you. You are free to choose your religion and we are free to choose ours. We have chosen the Religion in which we saw our good.” (Ibn Hisham, Sirah, Vol. 1, pp. 391-2.) The Qur’an mentions this incident in Surah al-Qasas: “Those to whom We gave the Book before do believe in this [to wit, the Qur’ an].

When it is recited to them they say: ‘We believe in it for it is the Truth from our Lord. Indeed, we were already Muslims.’ These will be granted their reward twice because they remained steadfast, they repel evil with good, and spend [in alms] out of the sustenance We provided them, and when they hear any vain talk, they turn away from it, saying: ‘We have our deeds and you have your deeds. Peace be to you. We do not desire to act like the ignorant’” (28:52—5).

124. Now when a person from their own nation, Muhammad (peace be on him), an Arab like themselves, recited God’s Message to them in clear Arabic, they said that he himself had composed it. Their attitude seemed to be that there was nothing unusual about an Arab delivering an eloquent piece of composition in Arabic, so why should they consider it a miracle? Had the same eloquent piece of discourse been delivered by a non-Arab but m authentic Arabic style, they would, however, still have come with some. pretext or other for not accepting it. For example, that, “He ‘is possessed by a Jinn who is talking in Arabic through the tongue of a non-Arab.

For further explanation see Tafhim al-Qur’an, Vol. 1V, Ha Mim al-Sajdah 41:nn. 54-8.)

The crux of the matter is that if a person is honest and truthful, he looks seriously at the substance of what is being presented, thinks it over and makes his own mind up about its soundness or otherwise Conversely, an obstinate person, who has already made up his mind not to accept something, pays no attention to the substance of what is said. He just tried to find pretexts to reject it. No matter in which manner the truth is presented to him, he will still be able to invent a set of excuses to reject it. This attitude of the unbelieving Quraysh is documented in the Qur’an itself: [O Messenger!] Had We sent down to you a book inscribed on parchment and had they even touched it with their own hands, the unbelievers would still have said: ‘This is nothing but plain ‘magic'” (al-An‘am.6.7 Elsewhere, the Qur’an mentions their obstinacy in the following words: if We were even to. open for them a way to the heaven, and they could continually climb up to it in broad daylight; they would still have said: ‘Surely our eyes have been dazzled: rather we have been enchanted (al Hijr 15:14~15).

125. The Qur’an brings peace and tranquility to the hearts of believers " not to the hearts of the unbelievers. Instead, the Qur’an passes through ir hearts as though it were a red-hot iron, infuriating them. Hence, instead of reflecting over the content of the Qur an, the unbelievers try to invent pretexts to refute it.

126. This is the same kind of i i punishment which was witnessed by the nations mentioned above.

127. Only after witnessing God’s punishment would the criminals be convinced that their Prophet was right. They would wish for another chance, but it would be too late.

128. There is a subtle gap between these two verses which the reader can fill with a little imagination. The unbelievers had challenged the Prophet (peace be on him) that the punishment which they had been threatened with should be hastily brought upon them. They so aske because they did not believe that they would indeed be punished. They were confident that they would continue to live a life of ease and self - indulgence. They thus challenged the Prophet (peace be on him) Pees of this confidence, in effect arguing: If you are really a Messenger of Go and if by denying you we will incur God’s wrath, then behold, we dare to deny you. Now bring upon us the punishment with which you have been threatening us.

In reply, God says that even if they were right that no punishment would come upon them, or that they would not be punished immediately, or that they would be left to enjoy a long life of pleasure and comfort, what would those years of worldly luxury avail them when the inevitable scourge of God overtone them, just as it had overtaken the ‘Ad, the Thamud, Lot’s people and the Aykah? If nothing else, what would be the worth of these worldly pleasures when they face death which, after all, no one can escape?

129, How could anyone complain that God had not been punishing them when they did not heed those who had indeed warned and admonished them? Such punishment would indeed have been unjust if no warning had been given them and if no one had tried to direct them to the Right Way.

130. It is stated in verses 192—3 that the Qur’an was revealed by the Lord of the Universe and that this Revelation was brought by the “truthful spirit”. Here, the other side of the same coin is being brought out by saying that the Qur’an was not brought by shayatin, something that was alleged by the opponents of the Truth. The most difficult thing that faced the unbelieving Quraysh in their propaganda campaign against the Prophet (peace be on him) was to explain the overpowering attractiveness of the Qur’an which captivated people’s hearts and minds. In short, they found themselves helpless and baffled before the Qur’an which continued to make inroads in their ranks. In utter desperation, therefore, they went about saying ridiculous things. They claimed, for instance, that the Prophet (peace be on him) was simply like other soothsayers and that he received f messages from satans.

The Quraysh considered this their most effective weapon against the Qur’ an.

They believed there were no ostensible means to ascertain whether the Qur’an f was revealed by an angel or by satans. Hence, the Prophet (peace be on him) was accused of receiving revelations from satans and/or soothsayers, there being no way of his refuting such a charge demonstrably.

131. Satans, even if they so desire, would be unable to compose the kind of Revelation that the Qur’an forms and the kind of teachings it expounds.

Anyone with even a modicum of common sense can himself see that the content of the Qur’an could not have come from satans. For, did not they have soothsayers among them and had they not listened to their satanic verses before? Did they ever hear that a satan summoned people to God through a soothsayer? Or asked people not to worship idols? Or warned them about retribution in the Hereafter? Or asked them to Stop being unjust and to mend their immoral behavior? Did any satan ever call people to righteous deeds, to truthful and honest ways of living, to a fair and appropriate behavior with God’s creatures? Clearly, all this goes against the very grain of every satan. A satan’s nature is to divide people against one another and to call them to evil deeds. Furthermore, people tend to go to those soothsayers whom they believe to have connections with satans and not to learn about God and piety. The kind of questions they put to such people include: whether or not the lover will be able to get hold of the beloved? What move would suit them in gambling? What trick would help them in defeating their enemies? How could they ascertain who had stolen their camel? And so on and so forth. Apart from such matters, soothsayers and satans could not be expected to concern themselves with reforming people’s lives, with teaching good morals, with uprooting evil.

132. Even if satans wanted to, they could not guide people to the Truth like a true teacher and reformer can, not even for a-short while. Even if they tried to disguise themselves as reformers to deceive people, their deeds would betray their inner selves. Even human beings who receive their inspiration from satans fail to convince people about the truth of their reformist pretensions for the simple reason that their intentions are not pure, their objectives are perverse and their lives fail to reflect any high moral ideals. Genuine and unalloyed truthfulness cannot be found in satans nor in the lives of those who associate with them. Thus, there can be no comparison between the teachings of the Qur’an and whatever is derived from satanic sources. Moreover, in addition to its eloquence, lucidity and nobility, the Qur’an also embodies a knowledge of Reality to which man has no access. Hence, the Qur’an challenges, over and over again, both human beings-and jinn to produce a book like it and proclaims that they will fail to do so even if all of them joined hands in the task. Say: “Surely, if men and jinn were to get together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they will never be able to produce the like of it, howsoever they might help one another” (Bani Isra’il 17:88). “Do they say that the Messenger has himself composed the Qur’an? Say: ‘In that case bring forth just one surah like it and call on all whom you can, except Allah, to help you if you are truthful’” (Yanus 10:38).

133. Despite their talk of interfering with the revelations of the Qur’an, satans are not even given a chance to listen to the Qur’an from the moment the Angel Gabriel receives a revelation from God up until the time he conveys it to Muhammad’s heart (peace be on him). Satans are not even allowed to be within hearing range of this majestic discourse; they cannot even take a single word of it to their friends and inform them of the Message that Muhammad (peace be on him) was about to give or what his teaching on a particular occasion will be concerned with. (For more details see Tafhim al- Qur’an, Vol. IV, al-Saffat 37: nn. 5-7, and al-Jinn 72:8-9 and 27.)

134. This statement does not mean that there was any eal danger that -the Prophet (peace be on him) was, indeed, going to associate aught with God in His Divinity and that he needed to be so prevented by means of admonition, from doing so. Rather, the object of-the statement was to warn the unbelievers and polytheists. What is being said here can be summarized as follows: The Message of the Qur’an is based on pure Truth which has been revealed by the Sovereign of the Universe and which has been made immune against every kind of satanic interpolation. Therefore, there is no possibility of undue favor to anyone. Among God’s creatures, it is the Prophet (peace be on him) whom God loves the most.

Notwithstanding this, it is also being made clear that even if he were to deviate, even just a little bit, from the True Path and invoke any deity other than God, he too would not escape God’s punishment. If such is the case with even the Prophet (peace be on him), who else can ever hope to escape God’s wrath after committing shirk (polytheism)?

135. Just.as there is no special consideration or undue favor even for the most exalted person, i.e. the Prophet (peace be on him), in matters pertaining to God’s Religion, there can be no question of any undue favor being shown to the Prophet’s family or to those whom he held dear, On the contrary, God will judge every case on its own merit. No one’s lineage or relation with another person will be of any avail. All should, therefore, be equally fearful of God’s punishment in the Hereafter in case they are erroneous in their beliefs and iniquitous in their conduct. Hence the Prophet (peace be on him) was commanded to warn his nearest relatives and to impress upon them that if their Faith or conduct was flawed, he would be of no avail to them.

We know from authentic traditions that after the revelation of this verse, the Prophet (peace be on him) addressed the offspring of his paternal grandfather. Calling each by name, he said, “O Bani ‘Abd al-Muttalib! O ‘Abbas! O Safiyah! ... O Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad! Save yourselves from. Hell for I have no power to prevent God from punishing you. As for my worldly possessions, you may ask me of it whatever you wish.” (See Muslim, ‘K. al-Iman’, *Bab wa andhir ‘Ashiratak al-Aqrabin’. See also Tirmidhi, ‘K. al- Zuhd', ‘Bab ma ja’a fi Indhar al-Nabi Sallalahu ‘alayhi wa Sallam — Ed.) The next morning, he went up to the highest point of Mount Safa and cried out: “O Quraysh!, O Children of Ka‘b ibn Luwayy! O Children of Murrah! O Children of Qusayy! O Children of ‘Abd Manaf! O Children of ‘Abd Shams! O Children of Hashim! O Children of ‘Abd al-Muttalib ...” (See Tirmidhi, ‘K.

Tafsir al-Qur’an’, ‘Bab wa min Surah al-Shu ‘ara’ — Ed.) In this manner, he called each and every family and clan of the Quraysh by name. It was customary among the Arabs that-if someone believed that an early morning raid had been planned by the enemy, he would call people to warn them, and they would come running out of their houses. Hearing the Prophet’s call, people did come out of their houses and those who could not come, sent someone else to find out what had happened. When all had come together, the Prophet (peace be on him) said: “O people, if I were to tell you that a large army has gathered on the other side of this mountain and is ready to attack you, will you consider this to be true?” Everyone said: “Yes, we have never known you to lie.” Then the Prophet (peace be on him) said: “I warn you of the terrible punishment of God that is about to come upon you. Save yourselves from His wrath. I will be of no avail to you against God. On the Day of Resurrection, my kinship will be only with the, pious. Let it not be that others come with righteous deeds and you come with the burden of sins and then cry out: ‘O Muhammad!’ ‘O Muhammad!’ For then I shall be of no avail to you. Yes, in this world, I have blood kinship with you and here I will show due regard for that kinship.” (Several traditions to this effect have been narrated on the authority of ‘A’ishah, Abu Hurayrah, ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas, Zuhayr ibn ‘Amr and Qabisah ibn Mukhariq in Bukhari, Muslim, the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and in Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and in the Tafsir of Tabari. See Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Shu‘ara’ 26, vv. 213- 15. See also Muslim, ‘K. al-Iman’, ‘Bab fi Qawlihi Ta‘ala: “Wa andhir ‘Ashiratak al-Aqrabin”; Tirmidhi, ‘K. Tafsir al-Qur’an, Wa min Surah al- Shu ‘ara’; Nasa’i; ‘K. al-Wasaya’, ‘Bab idha Awsa li-‘Ashiratihi al-Aqrabin’, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 2, pp. 33, 360 — Ed.) The matter did not simply rest at the fact that God had commanded the Prophet (peace be on him) to warn his kinsfolk (26:214). Rather, the fundamental principle being stressed here is that in respect of religious duties, neither the Prophet (peace be on him) nor his relatives enjoy any special privilege. Whatever is evil is evil for all. It is, in the first place. the duty of the Prophet (peace be on him) to shun that evil himself, to warn his near ones, and then warn everyone else against those evils. Contrariwise, whatever is good, is good for all. The position of a Prophet requires that he should first put it into effect in his own life and then call his near ones to it so that everyone can see that he sincerely means what he preaches.

In fact, this is how the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) lived all his life. On the day of the conquest of Makka, as soon as he entered the Holy City, he proclaimed: “Every kind of interest (riba) payable to people from the Time of Ignorance is under my feet, and first of all, I remit the interest payable to my own uncle Abbas.” (See Muslim, ‘K. al-Hajj’, ‘Bab Hajjat al-Nabi Sallalah alayhi wa Sallam’.) (Before the prohibition of interest, ‘Abbas used to lend money on interest and a substantial amount owed to him was outstanding at that time.) To take another case, the Prophet (peace be on him) ordered the cutting off of the hand of a Qurayshite woman, Fatimah, on account of theft. Usamah ibn Zayd interceded with the Prophet (peace be on him) on her behalf. Thereupon he firmly declared: “Had Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, committed theft I would have had her hand amputated.” (Bukhari, ‘K. Ashab al-Nabi Sallalahu alayhi wa Sallam’, ‘Bab Dhikr Usamah ibn Zayd’ — Ed.)

136. Two interpretations are possible here: (i) that the Prophet (peace be on him) Should treat with kindness those of his relatives who had accepted the true Faith and followed him, and should disclaim all responsibility with regard to those who did not accept his Message; and (ii) that the directive to show kindness should not be deemed to be confined to the Prophet's near of kin whom he had been asked to warn. This directive is rather meant to cover all people who accept the true Faith and follow the Prophet. Likewise, the Prophet (peace be on him) is required to disclaim all responsibility in respect of those who disobey him and who decline to accept his Message.

This verse also makes it clear that at that time there were some among the Quraysh and the neighboring Arabs who were convinced that the Prophet (peace be on him) was indeed a true Prophet of God, and still they did not put his teachings into effect. in their lives. They were still very much a part of the wayward society in which they lived and they behaved more or Less like the other members of their society did. God mentions such people as being distinct from the true believers who not only believed in the Prophet (peace be on him) but who had also transformed their behavior as a result of their affirming the truth of his Message.

The command to be “gentle” to those who followed him was meant only for people belonging to this latter group. As for those who had turned away from obeying the Prophet (peace be on him), be they unbelievers or non-practising believers, he was directed to proclaim that he bore no responsibility for them; that his task ended after he had warned them. Hence, it is the people * Literally, “and lower your wing to the believers who follow you”. — Ed.

concerned who would themselves bear the consequences of their actions. The Prophet’s only duty was to warn them, no more. No responsibility remained on his shoulders after he had delivered the Message to them.

137. The Prophet (peace be on him) was asked not to take into account any earthly power, and to continue to perform his mission with full trust in God Who is both All-Mighty and Most Merciful. God’s Might is a sufficient assurance for the success of anyone who enjoys His support. On the other hand, God also holds out the promise that He will never let the striving and sacrifice of those who seek to exalt the Word of God end in vain.

138. The word “rise” could either refer to Prayers or to the performance of the mission entrusted to the Prophet (peace be on him).

139. Several interpretations are possible: (i) that God watches the Prophet (peace be on him) perform congregational Prayers, and make ruku‘ (bowing) and sajdah (prostration) and other acts pertaining to Prayer along with those who pray behind him. (ii) That the Prophet (peace be on him) is in God’s sight when he goes about trying to acquaint himself with the strivings of his Companions (who are meant by the expression “those who prostrate themselves”) to achieve success in their Next Life. (iii) That God knows well the strenuous efforts which the Prophet (peace be on him) and his Companions make to reform the lives of God’s creatures. (iv). That God knows well all what the Prophet (peace be on him) does to bring about the reform in the lives of his own Companions: the manner in which he instructs them, trains them, and how he purifies their lives, transforming them, as it were, into pure gold.

The purpose for which the attributes of the. Prophet (peace be on him) and his Companions are mentioned here pertains to both the content of the verses that precede it and those that follow. The relationship of the present statement with the preceding verses is that quite evidently the Prophet (peace be on him) is fully worthy of God’s support. In other words, God is well aware of al! the efforts made by him in His cause along with his pious and devout Companions.

This statement is also connected with the next few verses insofar as it emphatically confirms that the lives of the Prophet (peace be on him) and his Companions conformed to the highest moral standards so that only a victim of mental blindness could contend that the Prophet (peace be on him) had any contact with satans, or that he was a poet. The moral depravity of soothsayers and poets, who were under the influence of satans, was known to all. Could anyone say that there was no difference between the lives of the Prophet (peace be on him) and his Companions on the one hand, and those of soothsayers and poets on the other? It would be nothing short of brazen impudence to say that they were identical or that they even bore any resemblance.

140. The people meant here are sorcerers, soothsayers, fortune-tellers, geomancers and false claimants to special supra-sensory powers who pretended, on that basis, to know the secrets of the unseen world and, hence, claimed that they could tell peoples’ fortunes, or that they had control over Jinn and spirits and, thus, the power to make or mar peoples’ lives.

141. Two meanings are possible: (i). that sometimes satans are able to get wind of things that happen. This they pass on to their agents who, in ~ turn, mix much falsehood with it. (ii) That deceitful and unscrupulous Soothsayers hear something from satans, mix it with falsehood, and then go whispering it into people’s ears. This is elucidated by a tradition from the Prophet (peace be on him) in Bukhari on the authority of ‘A’ishah. She said ' that some people asked the Prophet (peace be on him) about soothsayers.

He said: “They are nothing.” Those people then said to the Prophet (peace be on him): “O Messenger of God, sometimes they do tell the correct thing.” The Prophet (peace be on him) replied: “That correct thing is overheard by the jinn who whisper it into their friends’ ears, then mix a great deal of falsehood with it, and make it up into a whole story.” (Bukhari, ‘K. al- Tawhid’, ‘Bab Qira’at al-Fajir wa al-Munafiq wa Aswatuhum wa Tilawatuhum la Tujawiz Hanajirahum’ - Ed.)

142. Those who frequent the company of poets are quite different from the Companions of the Prophet (peace be on him). They are different in their conduct, habits, character traits and attitudes. All one has to do is to-cast a glance at the two groups of people in order to be able to distinguish one from the other. Those people belonging to one group are known for their sobriety, their civilized and gentle behavior, their uprightness, fear of God, and their deep sense of responsibility. They are distinguished by their high degree of honesty and trustworthiness in their dealings with others. They are also extremely circumspect in their speech. Their tongues utter nothing except good.

They are a people known for their devotion to high ideals for which they strive day in and day out.

The other group are those whose pastime is to zestfully portray erotic adventures to the applause of an audience who has a penchant for such stuff.

They try to arouse enmity and hatred against others. They compose juicy verses portraying the charms not only of unchaste women but also of chaste women who live decent family lives. The boon companions of such Poets are those who have no moral scruples, whose goal in life is only to gratify their lusts as animals would do, and who are devoid of the higher and nobler ideals of life.

Someone who cannot see these obvious differences between two groups must surely be blind and if he sees such differences but still says, merely to suppress - or distort the truth, that Muhammad (peace be on him) and his Companions are no different from poets and their boon companions, he is not only lying but has also transgressed all bounds of decency.

143. That is, poets tend not to be consistent and, hence, do not follow a given path. They have no coherence in their thinking and utterances. They aimlessly wander in all directions. Every new impulse takes them to a different subject. They have no serious consideration for the truth or falsity of what they say. Under one impulse, they give expression to wisdom. understanding and other good traits. Soon after, under some other impulse, they may speak of crude and filthy subjects. If they are pleased with someone, they raise him to the heights of heaven and if they are angry, they bring him down to the lowest of depths. They may portray someone who is stingy as most generous and a cowardly person as.one who is extremely courageous. If they dislike someone, they falsely implicate him in acts of moral turpitude; they have no compunction.

in ridiculing him and tarnishing his lineage. One also finds them expressing in one breath their devotion to God and in another their godlessness. They wax eloquent on spiritualism as well as rank materialism, on morality and piety as well as on muck and stench. Poets can use their poetic skills to engage in vulgar lampoon and denigration on some, and lavish applause and eulogy on others. How can anyone. who knows these obvious traits of the poets, dare say ‘that he, Muhammad (peace be on him), who was granted the Qur’an was a poet merely reciting his poetry? How can someone whose speech was always sober, whose conduct was always transparent and in conformity with the highest moral ideals, whose path was always even and straight, and who never said a word that was untrue, be called a poet? In Surah Ya Sin, the Qur’an states that the Prophet (peace be on him) had nothing to do with poetry: “We did not teach him poetry, and poetry does not become him” (36:69). This was a fact well known to all those who knew the Prophet (peace be on him) directly. Authentic traditions tell us that the Prophet (peace be on him) did not retain a single couplet in his memory. If he ever quoted a poet, he would not follow the meter, or the sequence of the words would undergo a change. According to Hasan al-Basri, the Prophet (peace be on him) once quoted a line from a poet: “Kafa bi al-Islam wa al-shayb li al-mar’ nahiya”. Abu Bakr pointed out that the actual line should read as follows: “Kafa al-shayb wa al- Islam li al-mar’ nahiya.” On another occasion, the Prophet (peace be on him) asked ‘Abbas ibn Mardas al-Sulami: “Is this your verse: ‘A taj‘alu nahbi wa nahb al-‘abid wa bayn al-Aqra‘ wa‘Uyaynatin?’” ‘Abbas pointed out: “The last part of the line is: ‘bayn ‘Uyaynata wa al-aqra‘i’”. The Prophet (peace be on him) said: “But both mean the same.” (See Alusi, Ruh al-Ma ‘ani, comments on Surah Ya Sin 36:69, Vol. 23, pp. 48-9 - Ed.) Once ‘A’ishah was asked if the Prophet (peace be on him) had recourse to poetry in his discourse. She said: “There was nothing more displeasing to the Prophet (peace be on him) though once in a while he would recite a couplet of Imra’ al-Qays. But when he did so he would recite it in the wrong sequence.

Upon hearing him, Abu Bakr would identify the incorrectness of the word sequences and the Prophet (peace be on him) would reply: “I am not a poet and poetry is not worthy of me.”

Arabic poetry at the time of the Prophet (peace be on him) gave vent to lasciviousness and eroticism, wine-bibbing, tribal prejudice, pride and vanity, vituperation and satire, bragging and eulogy, sycophancy and obscenity, and polytheistic superstitions. The Prophet (peace be on him) once said of such poetry: “It is better that the belly of a person is filled with pus rather than [this kind of] poetry.” (Bukhari, ‘K. al-Adab’, ‘Bab ma yukrah an yakin al- Ghalib ‘ala al-Insan al-Shi‘f ... wa al-Qur’an’ - Ed.) But the Prophet (peace be on him) would also pay tribute to good poetry, saying: “Verily some poetry is full of wisdom.” (Bukhari, ‘K. al-Adab’, ‘Bab ma yajuz min al-Shi ‘r wa al- Rajaz wa al-Huda’ wa ma yukrah minhu’ — Ed.) For instance, when he heard the poetry of Umayyah ibn Abi al-Salt, he said: “His verse is full of Faith, but his heart remains that of an unbeliever.” (See Muslim, ‘K. al-Shi‘r’. The above words could not be traced in the sources we could consult. The substance of the statement is found in Fa la qad kada an yuslim fi Shi‘rihi.) Once a_ Companion recited more than one hundred couplets to the Prophet (peace be on him) and he kept on saying: “Recite more; recite more” (Muslim, ‘K. al-Shi‘r’ — Ed.)

144. This is another common trait of poets which is the very opposite of the Prophet’s character. The total harmony between the Prophet’s word and deed was known to all. He practiced what he preached and preached what he practiced. Conversely, it was common knowledge that the poets’ deeds were totally different from their words. They might be eloquent about generosity but be utterly stingy themselves. They might lavish their rhetoric on courage but be cowardly themselves. They might extol dignified indifference to the rich, give expression to contentment with one’s portion in life and.to feelings of self-respect and honor, but themselves be steeped in greed and avarice. They might also be critical of others though their own lives be a catalogue of serious misdeeds.

145. This verse makes four exceptions to the general condemnation of poets in the previous verse, making it clear that those poets who possessed these characteristics are not blameworthy: (i) those who believe in God, in His Prophets, in His Books and in the Hereafter; (ii) those who are pious and virtuous and live within moral bounds; (iii) those who constantly remember God, and whose remembrance of God is reflected both in their lives and in their poetry. For it is not appropriate for a poet who is steeped in God consciousness and piety, to fill his poetry with unbridled sensuality and eroticism; or, contrariwise, for his poetry to be full of wisdom, insightful awareness and profound knowledge of God while his life. be devoid of such traits. Each of these is equally blameworthy. A praiseworthy poet is he whose life is also full of God’s remembrance and whose poetic genius, too, is devoted to the advancement of the goals of the True Path — the Path of those who are conscious of God and hold Him in awe; (iv) The fourth exception concerns those who do not subject people to satire for personal reasons and who do not arouse racial and nationalistic prejudice. However, when the cause of the Truth requires their support against oppressors, they can have recourse to their poetic talent in the manner a-warrior uses his sword. For it does not be hove a believer to be submissive in face of tyranny. Traditions tell us that the Prophet (peace be on him) used to urge Muslim poets to respond to the vituperative satire and lampoon of non-Muslim poets. He once said to Ka‘b ibn Malik: “Satirize them, for I swear by God in Whose hand is my life, your satire is more severe for them than an arrow.” (For Ka‘b’s narration see Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 6, p. 387. See also Nasa’i, ‘K. Manasik al-Hajj’, ‘Bab Inshad al-Shi‘r fi al-Haram ....’; see also ‘Bab Istiqbal al- Hajj’ - Ed.) He also said to Hassan ibn Thabit: “Satirize them; Gabriel is with you.” (See Bukhari, ‘K. Bad’ al-Khalq’, ‘Bab Dhikr al-Mala’ikah Salawat Allah ‘alayhim’ - Ed.) In another tradition: “Say [to:wit], the satire, and the spirit of holiness is with you.” (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 4, L pp. 298 and 301 — Ed.) Once the Prophet (peace be on him) said: “A believer fights with the sword as well as with his tongue.” (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, Vol. 6, p. 387 ~ Ed.),

146. The “perpetrators of wrong”, here, signify those who, merely in order to hurt the cause of the Truth, brazenly resorted to the vile propaganda that the Prophet (peace be on him) was a poet, a soothsayer, a sorcerer, or a F lunatic. They deliberately did so in order to arouse misgivings about him and his teachings.