Surah 46. Al-Ahqaf

---

Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-20 [2], 21-26 [3], 27-35 [4]

---

Quran Text of Verse 27-35وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyاَهْلَكْنَاWe destroyedمَاwhatحَوْلَكُمْsurrounds youمِّنَofالْقُرٰیthe townsوَ صَرَّفْنَاand We have diversifiedالْاٰیٰتِthe Signsلَعَلَّهُمْthat they mayیَرْجِعُوْنَ return فَلَوْ لَاThen why (did) notنَصَرَهُمُhelp themالَّذِیْنَthose whomاتَّخَذُوْاthey had takenمِنْbesidesدُوْنِbesidesاللّٰهِAllahقُرْبَانًاgods as a way of approachاٰلِهَةً ؕgods as a way of approachبَلْNayضَلُّوْاthey were lostعَنْهُمْ ۚfrom themوَ ذٰلِكَAnd thatاِفْكُهُمْ(was) their falsehoodوَ مَاand whatكَانُوْاthey wereیَفْتَرُوْنَ inventing 46. Al-Ahqaf Page 506وَ اِذْAnd whenصَرَفْنَاۤWe directedاِلَیْكَto youنَفَرًاa partyمِّنَofالْجِنِّthe jinnیَسْتَمِعُوْنَlisteningالْقُرْاٰنَ ۚ(to) the QuranفَلَمَّاAnd whenحَضَرُوْهُthey attended itقَالُوْۤاthey saidاَنْصِتُوْا ۚListen quietlyفَلَمَّاAnd whenقُضِیَit was concludedوَ لَّوْthey turned backاِلٰیtoقَوْمِهِمْtheir peopleمُّنْذِرِیْنَ (as) warners قَالُوْاThey saidیٰقَوْمَنَاۤO our peopleاِنَّاIndeed, weسَمِعْنَا[we] have heardكِتٰبًاa BookاُنْزِلَrevealedمِنْۢafterبَعْدِafterمُوْسٰیMusaمُصَدِّقًاconfirmingلِّمَاwhatبَیْنَ(was) before itیَدَیْهِ(was) before itیَهْدِیْۤguidingاِلَیtoالْحَقِّthe truthوَ اِلٰیand toطَرِیْقٍa Pathمُّسْتَقِیْمٍ Straight یٰقَوْمَنَاۤO our people!اَجِیْبُوْاRespondدَاعِیَ(to the) callerاللّٰهِ(of) Allahوَ اٰمِنُوْاand believeبِهٖin himیَغْفِرْHe will forgiveلَكُمْfor youمِّنْofذُنُوْبِكُمْyour sinsوَ یُجِرْكُمْand will protect youمِّنْfromعَذَابٍa punishmentاَلِیْمٍ painful وَ مَنْAnd whoeverلَّا(does) notیُجِبْrespondدَاعِیَ(to the) callerاللّٰهِ(of) Allahفَلَیْسَthen notبِمُعْجِزٍhe can escapeفِیinالْاَرْضِthe earthوَ لَیْسَand notلَهٗfor himمِنْbesides Himدُوْنِهٖۤbesides Himاَوْلِیَآءُ ؕprotectorsاُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseفِیْ(are) inضَلٰلٍerrorمُّبِیْنٍ clear اَوَ لَمْDo notیَرَوْاthey seeاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahالَّذِیْ(is) the One Whoخَلَقَcreatedالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضَand the earthوَ لَمْand (did) notیَعْیَget tiredبِخَلْقِهِنَّby their creationبِقٰدِرٍ(is) ableعَلٰۤیto give lifeاَنْto give lifeیُّحْیِ َۧto give lifeالْمَوْتٰی ؕ(to) the deadبَلٰۤیYesاِنَّهٗindeed Heعَلٰی(is) onكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingقَدِیْرٌ All-Powerful وَ یَوْمَAnd (the) Dayیُعْرَضُare exposedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedعَلَیtoالنَّارِ ؕthe FireاَلَیْسَIs notهٰذَاthisبِالْحَقِّ ؕthe truthقَالُوْاThey will sayبَلٰیYesوَ رَبِّنَا ؕby our LordقَالَHe will sayفَذُوْقُواThen tasteالْعَذَابَthe punishmentبِمَاbecauseكُنْتُمْyou used (to)تَكْفُرُوْنَ disbelieve فَاصْبِرْSo be patientكَمَاasصَبَرَhad patienceاُولُواthose of determinationالْعَزْمِthose of determinationمِنَofالرُّسُلِthe Messengersوَ لَاand (do) notتَسْتَعْجِلْseek to hastenلَّهُمْ ؕfor themكَاَنَّهُمْAs if they hadیَوْمَ(the) Dayیَرَوْنَthey seeمَاwhatیُوْعَدُوْنَ ۙthey were promisedلَمْnotیَلْبَثُوْۤاremainedاِلَّاexceptسَاعَةًan hourمِّنْofنَّهَارٍ ؕa dayبَلٰغٌ ۚA clear MessageفَهَلْBut willیُهْلَكُ(any) be destroyedاِلَّاexceptالْقَوْمُthe peopleالْفٰسِقُوْنَ۠the defiantly disobedient

---

Translation of Verse 27-35

(46:27) Surely We destroyed many a town around you. We sent Our Messages to them repeatedly and in diverse forms that they may eschew (their evil ways) and return (to Allah).

(46:28) So why did those whom they had set up as gods apart from Allah, hoping that they would bring them nearer to Him, not come to their aid?³² Instead, they failed them. This was the end of the lie they had fabricated and the false beliefs they had invented.

(46:29) And call to mind when We sent to you a party of the jinn that they may listen to the Qur'an.³³ When they reached the place (where you were reciting the Qur'an), they said to one another: “Be silent (and listen).” And when the recitation ended, they went back to their people as warners.

(46:30) They said: “Our people, We have heard a Scripture revealed after Moses, verifying the Scriptures revealed before it; it guides to the Truth and to the Straight Way.³⁴

(46:31) Our people, respond to the call of him who calls you to Allah and believe in him. Allah will forgive your sins and will protect you from a grievous chastisement.”³⁵

(46:32) And³⁶ he who does not respond to the one who calls to Allah will not be able to frustrate Him on earth, nor will they have anyone to protect them from Allah. Such people are in manifest error.

(46:33) Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth � and creating them did not wear Him out � has the power to bring the dead back to life? Why not! He certainly has the power over everything.

(46:34) On the Day when the unbelievers will be brought within sight of the Fire, they will be asked: “Is this not the Truth?” and they will answer “Yes, by Our Lord (this is the Truth).” Allah will say: “Then suffer the chastisement as a requital for your disbelieving.”

(46:35) So bear with patience, (O Prophet), even as the Messengers endowed with firmness of resolve³⁷ (before you) bore with patience, and do not be hasty in their regard. The Day when they see what they had been warned against they will feel as though they had remained in the world no more than an hour of a day. (The Truth has been conveyed.) Will any, then, suffer perdition except those who disobey?

---

Commentary

32. When the polytheists developed their initial veneration of those personalities [that later became their deities], they took them as God’s chosen servants. They thought they would gain His proximity through them. However, they gradually deified them, invoked them, addressed their supplications to them and imagined that they had the power to meet their needs. In order to guide them to the Straight Way, God first explained the matter to them with the help of His signs through His Messengers. However, as they insisted on their false ways and idolatry, God’s punishment struck them and their false gods were incapable of coming to their rescue.

33. All the reports about the circumstantial setting of this verse, narrated on the authority of ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud, Zubayr, ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas, al-Hasan al-Basri, Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, Zarr ibn Hubaysh, Mujahid and ‘Ikrimah are unanimous on the point that the jinn appeared for the first time in the valley of Nakhlah. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-A’raf 7: 69.) Ibn Ishaq Abu Na’aym Isfahani and Waqidi state that it happened when the Prophet (peace be on him) was on his way back to Makkah from Ta’if. He stayed at Nakhlah and was reciting the Qur’an during the ‘Isha’ or Tahajjud or Fajr Prayer when a group of jinn passed by.

They stopped there to listen to his recitation. (Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 29; Suyuti, al-Durr al-Manthur, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 29.) All the reports indicate that at that time the jinn did not physically appear before the Prophet (peace be on him). Nor did he note their presence. Later on, God informed him through revelation about their visit and their listening to the Qur’an. (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 29.) This happened either at al-Zaymah or at al-Say] al-Kabir, both of which are located in the Nakhlah Valley. Both abound in water and greenery. The visitors from Ta’if usually break their journey there.

34. One thus learns that these jinn were already believers in the Prophet Moses (peace be on him) and the Scriptures. For, on listening to the Qur’an, they readily recognized that its message was identical with that of the earlier Prophets. Accordingly, they decided to believe in the Qur’an and its bearer, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him).

35. Authentic traditions indicate that after this incident a series of delegations of the jinn called on the Prophet (peace be on him) and met him directly. Collation of the relevant ahadith indicates that at least six delegations visited Makkah before the Migration to Madinah. ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud reports: ‘Once the Prophet (peace be on him) did not turn up for the whole night which caused great concern. We feared that someone had attacked him. The next morning, we saw him coming from the Hira’ cave. On being asked he told us that a jinn had invited him and he recited the Qur’an before a whole group of them’. (Muslim, Kitab al-Salah, Bab al-Jahr bi al-Qira’ah fi al-Subh wa al-Qira’ah ‘ala al-Jinn; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, narrated by ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas’‘ud; and Tirmidhi, Kitab Tafsir al-Qur’an ‘an Rasul Allah Salla Allah ‘alayhi wa Sallam, Bab wa min Surah al-Ahqaf). Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud narrates another tradition: ‘Once the Prophet (peace be on him) told his Companions in Makkah: “Who among you will accompany me to meet the jinn?” I expressed my desire to accompany him. While we reached the upper region of Makkah, he drew a line and directed me not to cross it. He went beyond that and started reciting the Qur’an. I saw many people surrounding him.’ (Tabari, Tafsir, comments on Surah al-Ahqaf 46: 29, Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwah, Jimi’ Abwab al-Mab‘ath, Bab Dhikr Islam al-Jinn wa ma Zahara ft Dhalika min Ayat al-Mustafa Salla Allah ‘alayhi wa Sallam and; Abu Na‘aym al-Isfahani, Dala’il al-Nubuwah, Kitab ma Zahara min al-Ayat fi Makhrijihi ila al-Madinah wa fi al-Tariq, Bab Ma Ruwiya fi Iltiqa’ihim bi Rasul Allah Salla Allah ‘alayhi wa Sallam.) , On another occasion while ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘tid accompanied the Prophet (peace be on him), the latter decided a case involving the jinn at Hajun, near Makkah. Many years after this incident, when ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘tid saw some people in Kufah, he remarked that they resembled the jinn whom he had seen at Hajun. (Tabari, Tafsir, comment Surah al-Ahkaf 46: 29.)

36. It is likely that this part of the verse is a statement made by the jinn. Or it might be a remark by God. The latter, however, seems more plausible.

37. The Prophet (peace be on. him) is directed to bear, like other Messengers, with the indifference, opposition and resistance of his people.

He should keep on working tirelessly for the cause of his mission. He should not expect people to embrace faith immediately or think that in case of their not believing God will send down His punishment upon them overnight.