Surah 59. Al-Hashr

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Verses [Section]: 1-10[1], 11-17 [2], 18-24 [3]

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Quran Text of Verse 18-24یٰۤاَیُّهَاOالَّذِیْنَyou (who)اٰمَنُواbelieveاتَّقُواFearاللّٰهَAllahوَ لْتَنْظُرْand let lookنَفْسٌevery soulمَّاwhatقَدَّمَتْit has sent forthلِغَدٍ ۚfor tomorrowوَ اتَّقُواand fearاللّٰهَ ؕAllahاِنَّIndeedاللّٰهَAllahخَبِیْرٌۢ(is) All-Awareبِمَاof whatتَعْمَلُوْنَ you do وَ لَاAnd (do) notتَكُوْنُوْاbeكَالَّذِیْنَlike those whoنَسُواforgotاللّٰهَAllahفَاَنْسٰىهُمْso He made them forgetاَنْفُسَهُمْ ؕthemselvesاُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseهُمُ[they]الْفٰسِقُوْنَ (are) the defiantly disobedient لَاNotیَسْتَوِیْۤare equalاَصْحٰبُ(the) companionsالنَّارِ(of) the Fireوَ اَصْحٰبُand (the) companionsالْجَنَّةِ ؕ(of) Paradiseاَصْحٰبُ(The) companionsالْجَنَّةِ(of) Paradiseهُمُtheyالْفَآىِٕزُوْنَ (are) achievers لَوْIfاَنْزَلْنَاWe (had) sent downهٰذَاthisالْقُرْاٰنَQuranعَلٰیonجَبَلٍa mountainلَّرَاَیْتَهٗsurely you (would) have seen itخَاشِعًاhumbledمُّتَصَدِّعًاbreaking asunderمِّنْfromخَشْیَةِ(the) fearاللّٰهِ ؕ(of) Allahوَ تِلْكَAnd theseالْاَمْثَالُ(are) the examplesنَضْرِبُهَاWe present themلِلنَّاسِto the peopleلَعَلَّهُمْso that they mayیَتَفَكَّرُوْنَ give thought هُوَHeاللّٰهُ(is) Allahالَّذِیْthe One Whoلَاۤ(there is) noاِلٰهَgodاِلَّاbutهُوَ ۚHeعٰلِمُ(the) All-Knowerالْغَیْبِ(of) the unseenوَ الشَّهَادَةِ ۚand the witnessedهُوَHeالرَّحْمٰنُ(is) the Most Graciousالرَّحِیْمُ the Most Merciful هُوَHeاللّٰهُ(is) Allahالَّذِیْthe One Whoلَاۤ(there is) noاِلٰهَgodاِلَّاbutهُوَ ۚHeاَلْمَلِكُthe Sovereignالْقُدُّوْسُthe Holy Oneالسَّلٰمُthe Giver of Peaceالْمُؤْمِنُthe Giver of Securityالْمُهَیْمِنُthe Guardianالْعَزِیْزُthe All-Mightyالْجَبَّارُthe Irresistibleالْمُتَكَبِّرُ ؕthe SupremeسُبْحٰنَGlory (be to)اللّٰهِAllahعَمَّاfrom whatیُشْرِكُوْنَ they associate (with Him) هُوَHeاللّٰهُ(is) Allahالْخَالِقُthe Creatorالْبَارِئُthe Inventorالْمُصَوِّرُthe FashionerلَهُFor Himالْاَسْمَآءُ(are) the namesالْحُسْنٰی ؕthe beautifulیُسَبِّحُGlorifiesلَهٗHimمَاwhateverفِی(is) inالسَّمٰوٰتِthe heavensوَ الْاَرْضِ ۚand the earthوَ هُوَAnd Heالْعَزِیْزُ(is) the All-Mightyالْحَكِیْمُ۠the All-Wise

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Translation of Verse 18-24

(59:18) Believers,²⁸ fear Allah and let every person look to what he sends forward for the morrow.²⁹ Fear Allah; Allah is well aware of all that you do.

(59:19) And be not like those who forgot Allah and so He made them oblivious of themselves.³⁰ They are the wicked ones.

(59:20) Those destined for the Fire and those destined for Paradise cannot be alike. Verily it is those destined for Paradise who shall triumph.

(59:21) Had We sent down this Qur'an upon a mountain you would indeed have seen it humbling itself and breaking asunder out of fear of Allah.³¹ We propound such parables to people that they may reflect.

(59:22) He³² is Allah: there is no god but He;³³ the Knower of the unseen and the manifest,³⁴ He is the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.³⁵

(59:23) He is Allah: there is no god but He: the King,³⁶ the Holy,³⁷ the All-Peace,³⁹ the Giver of security,³⁸ the Overseer,⁴⁰ the Most Mighty,⁴¹ the Overpowering,⁴² the All-Great.⁴³ Exalted be He from whatever they associate with Him.

(59:24) He is Allah, the Planner,⁴⁴ Executer and Fashioner of creation.⁴⁵ His are the names most beautiful.⁴⁶ Whatever is in the heavens and the earth extols His Glory.⁴⁷ He is the Most Mighty, the Most Wise.⁴⁸

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Commentary

28. It is a rule of the Quran that whenever the hypocritical Muslims are taken to task for their hypocrisy, they are given admonition also so that whoever of them has some life left in his conscience, may feel remorse for his conduct and attitude and may make an effort, out of the fear of Allah, to come out of the pit into which his worship of the self has thrown him. This whole section (verses 18-24) consists of such admonition.

29. For tomorrow: for the Hereafter. That is, this whole worldly life is “today”, whose “tomorrow” is the Day of Resurrection, which is going to follow it. Adopting this style Allah has, in a wise manner, made man understand the truth that just as that person is highly foolish, who gambles away his all for the enjoyment of today and does not realize whether tomorrow he would be left with anything to eat and a place of shelter or not, so is also that person only working for his own doom, who is too absorbed in making his world to pay heed to the Hereafter, whereas the Hereafter is to follow this world just as today is to be followed by tomorrow, and there he would find nothing if he has sent nothing ahead for the morrow. Besides, the other wise point here is that every person has been appointed his own censor. Unless a person develops in himself the sense of what is good for him and what is evil, he cannot appreciate whether what he is doing will make his future in the Hereafter or mar it. And when this sense becomes active in himself, he will have to calculate and see for himself whether the way in which he is spending his time, his wealth, his energies and capabilities leads to Heaven or Hell. To do so is in his own interest; for if he does not do so he will ruin his own future itself.

30. That is, forgetfulness of God inevitably leads to forgetfulness of one’s own self. When man forgets that he is slave to the Almighty, he will inevitably form a wrong view of his position in the world, and his whole life will go wrong because of this basic error. Likewise, when he forgets that he is slave to nobody except Allah, he does not serve the one whose slave actually he is not. This also is a grave and allpervading misunderstanding, which corrupts his whole life. Man’s real position in the world is that of a slave; he is not free and self-sufficient; and he is slave of only One God, and is no one else’s slave beside Him. The person who does not know this truth, does not in fact know himself. And the person who in spite of knowing this, forgets it at any moment, may commit an act at that very moment, which a disbeliever, or a polytheist or a man forgetful of God only would commit. Man’s remaining firm and steadfast on the right path entirely depends on his remembering God at all times. For as soon as he, becomes heedless of Him, he becomes heedless of himself and this very heedlessness turns him into sinfulness.

31. The parable means that if a huge creation like a mountain had the sense and knowledge that it had been made responsible and accountable, like man, before Allah Almighty, for its deeds, it would have trembled from the fear of it. But how heedless, senseless and thoughtless is the man, who understands the Quran, and has known the whole truth through it, yet he is neither seized by any fear nor feels worried as to what answer he would make to his God about the responsibilities that have been placed on him. On the contrary, when he reads the Quran, or hears it being read, he remains un-moved as if he were a lifeless and senseless stone, which is not supposed to hear and see and understand anything. (For further explanation, see (E.N. 120 of Surah Al-Ahzab).

32. These verses explain what kind of God He is, and what are His attributes, Who has sent this Quran to you, Who has placed these responsibilities on you, and before Whom you have to render an account of your deeds in the end. This mention of the divine attributes immediately after the above theme automatically gives man the feeling that he has not to deal with an ordinary being but with Almighty Allah Who has such and such attributes. Here, one should also understand that although in the Quran, the attributes of Allah Almighty have been stated in a unique way, which gives a clear concept of the divine Being, there are two places where the attributes of Allah have been mentioned in a most comprehensive way, in the verse of the Alkursi (Al- Baqarah, Ayat 255) and in these verses of Surah Al-Hashr.

33. That is, He is the One besides Whom none else has the rank, position, attributes and powers of Godhead so that he may be worshiped and served as god.

34. That is, He knows whatever is hidden from the creatures as well as whatever is known and visible to them. Nothing of this universe is unknown to Him. He directly knows whatever has happened in the past, whatever exists at present and whatever will happen in the future. He does not stand in need of any means or medium of knowledge.

35. That is, He alone is the Being Whose mercy is limitless, which covers the whole universe and blesses and benefits everything in it. None else in the world is the bearer of such all-pervading, infinite mercy. The mercy of every other being, characterized by the ability of mercy, is partial and limited, and that quality too is not essentially its own, but bestowed by the Creator for a specific need and purpose. He has created the quality of mercy for some other creature. He has created it in order to make one creature a means for the development and well-being of the other creature. This by itself is a proof that Allah’s Mercy is infinite.

36. The word used in the original is al-Malik, which means that He alone is the real Sovereign. Moreover, the word al- Malik in its general sense also gives the meaning that He is King of the entire universe and not of a particular region or of a specific country. His Sovereignty and rule comprehends the entire universe.

He is Master of everything. Everything submits itself to His command and power and authority, and there is nothing to delimit His Sovereignty. At different places in the Quran all aspects of Allah’s Sovereignty have been presented and explained fully.

And whoever exists in the heavens and the earth, belongs to Him. All are obedient to Him. (Surah Ar-Room, Ayat 26).

He administers the affairs of the world from the heavens to the earth. (Surah As-Sajdah, Ayat 5).

To Him belongs the dominion of the earth and the heavens, and all matters are referred to Him for decision.( Surah Al- Hadid, Ayat 5).

He has no partner in His sovereignty. (Surah Al-Furqan, Ayat 2).

In His hand is the absolute control of everything. (Surah Ya Seen, Ayat 83).

Doer of whatever He wills. (Surah Al-Burooj, Ayat 16).

He is accountable to none for what He does, but all others are accountable (to Him). (Surah Al-Anbiyia, Ayat 23).

Allah rules and there is none to reverse His decrees. (Surah Ar-Raad, Ayat 41).

The Being Who gives protection while none can give protection against Him. (Surah Al-Momin, Ayat 88).

Say: O Allah, Sovereign of the Kingdom, You bestow kingdom on whomever You will, and You take it away from whomever You will. You exalt whomever You will and You abase whomever You will. All that is good is in Your power; indeed You have full power over all things. (Surah Aal-i-Imran, Ayat 26).

These explanations make it abundantly clear that Allah is not King in some limited or metaphoric sense but He is real King in the most perfect and complete sense of sovereignty. As a matter of fact, if sovereignty in its true sense is at all found somewhere, it is found only in Allah’s Kingship. Apart from this, wherever it is claimed to be, whether in the person of a king or dictator, or in a class or group or family, or in some nation, he or it possesses no sovereignty at all, for sovereignty is not a gift, which may at one time be granted and at another time withdrawn, which may be in danger of being usurped, the establishment and existence of which may be temporary and temporal, and the sphere of power and authority of which may be circumscribed and restricted by many other conflicting powers.

37. Al-Quddus is a superlative. It means that Allah is far exalted that He should have a fault or defect or demerit. He is the purest Being. No evil can be imagined about Him. Here, one should clearly understand that the attribute of holiness is a foremost accompaniment of sovereignty. Man’s intellect and nature refuse to believe that a being who is the bearer of sovereignty may be mischievous, ill behaved, ill-natured, who may be characterized with these base qualities from whose power and authority his subjects might be in danger of suffering evil instead of being blessed with good. That is why wherever man thinks sovereignty is centered, he assumes holiness also to be there, even if it is not there, for absolute sovereignty is inconceivable without holiness. But, obviously, there is no real Sovereign, nor can there be, except Allah, Who is the Holy. Whether it is monarchy, or sovereignty of the people, or dictatorship of the socialist system, or some other form of human rule, in any case holiness for it is inconceivable.

38. The word As-Salam as used in the original means peace and Secure, Allah’s being called As-Salam means that He is peace and safety personified. He is far exalted that some calamity or weakness or defect should befall Him, or His Perfection should suffer a decline or blemish.

39. The word Al-Mumin is derived from amun, which means to secure from fear, and Mumin is one who provides security to others. Allah has been called Al-Mumin in the sense that He provides security to His creatures. His creatures are secure from the fear that He would ever wrong them, or deprive them of their rights, or allow their rewards to go to waste, or would violate the promises He has made with them. Then, since no object has been mentioned with this subject, but the epithet of Al-Mumin has been used absolutely, it automatically gives the meaning that His security comprehends the entire universe and all that it contains.

40. The word Al-Muhaimin has three meanings:

(1) The Guardian and Protector.

(2) The Observer who sees what everyone does.

(3) The Being Who has taken up the responsibility to fulfill the needs and requirements of the people.

Here also, since the word Al-Muhaimin has been used absolutely, and no object has been mentioned of this subject, therefore, it by itself gives the implied meaning that He is guarding and protecting all creatures, is watching the acts and deeds of everyone, and has taken up the responsibility of sustaining and providing for every creature in the universe with its needs and requirements.

41. Al-Aziz: such an Almighty Being against Whom no one may dare raise his head, no one may have the power to resist His decrees, before Whom everyone may be helpless and powerless.

42. The word al-Jabbar as used in the original is derived from jabr which means setting something right by use of power, reforming something by force. Allah has been called Al-Jabbar in the sense that He sets the system of His universe right by the use of power and enforces His will, which is entirely based on wisdom. Moreover, the word Jabber also contains the meaning of greatness and glory. Thus, a palm-tree which is too tall for the people to pluck its fruit is called jabber in Arabic. Likewise, an act which is grand and glorious is called amal jabbar.

43. The word Al-Mutakabbir has two meanings.

(1) The one who is not actually great but poses as great.

(2) The one who is actually great and sets himself up as such.

Whether it is man or Satan, or some other creature, since greatness does not, in fact, belong to it, its posing itself as great and claiming superiority over others is, a false claim and a vice. Contrary to this, Allah Almighty is truly Great and greatness actually belongs to Him, and everything in the universe is low and insignificant as against Him. Therefore, His being Great and setting Himself up as Great is no false claim but reality; it is not an evil quality but a virtue and excellence, which no one else has but Allah.

44. That is, those who regard a creature as an associate in His powers, authority, attributes, or in His Being, in fact, utter a grave falsehood, for Allah is far exalted that anybody or anything should be an associate with Him in any sense.

45. That is, the entire world and everything in it, from the initial plan of its creation till its coming into existence in its final, finished form, is entirely Allah’s work of creation. Nothing has come into existence by itself nor come about accidentally, nor has anyone else the least share in its creation and development. Here, Allah’s act of creation has been described in three separate stages, which take place one after the other. First is the stage of khalq, which means to ordain, or to plan. It is like an engineer’s conceiving the design of a building, which he intends to build for a specific purpose and draws out its detailed diagram and model. The second stage is barr, which actually means to separate, to cut, to split asunder. The Creator has been called Al-barii in the sense that He enforces the plan He has conceived and brings out the thing from non-existence into existence. It is Analogous to the engineer’s putting marks on the ground of the full measurements of the building according to the plan, digging the foundations, raising the walls and completing all the practical preliminaries of the construction work. The third stage is taswir, which means to give shape; here it implies giving something its final complete shape. In all these three stages there is no resemblance whatever between Allah’s work and human works. None of human plans is such as may not have been derived from previous models and plans. But each of Allah’s plans is, unique and His own original creation. Whatever man makes, he makes it by combining the substances created by Allah. He does not bring anything from nonexistence into existence, but composes and constructs by different methods whatever is present and available. Contrary to this, Allah has brought everything from non-existence into creation, and the substance itself of which He has made the universe is created by Him. Likewise, in the matter of giving shape also man is not the inventor but an imitator, and only a poor imitator. The real Maker of forms and shapes is Allah, Who has given a unique and matchless shape to every species and individual and has never repeated exactly the same shape or from.

46. Names imply the adjectives, and “His are the excellent names” means that those adjectives which indicate or express some kind of defect are not appropriate for Him. He should be remembered by those names which express His attributes of Perfection. In the Quran these beautiful names of Allah have been mentioned here and there, and in the Hadith 99 names of that Exalted and Pure Being have been enumerated which Timidhi and Ibn Majah have related on the authority of Abu Hurairah. If one studies these names as mentioned in the Quran and the Hadith carefully, he can easily understand what words would be appropriate and suitable if one has to remember Allah in another language.

47. That is, everything proclaims with the tongue, or otherwise, that its Creator is free from every fault and defect, weakness and error.

48. For explanation, see E.N. 2 of Surah