Surah 67. Al-Mulk

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Verses [Section]: 1-14[1], 15-30 [2]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-1467. Al-Mulk Page 56267. Al-Mulkبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِتَبٰرَكَBlessed isالَّذِیْHeبِیَدِهِin Whose Handالْمُلْكُ ؗ(is) the Dominionوَ هُوَand Heعَلٰی(is) overكُلِّeveryشَیْءٍthingقَدِیْرُۙAll-Powerful لَّذِیْThe One Whoخَلَقَcreatedالْمَوْتَdeathوَ الْحَیٰوةَand lifeلِیَبْلُوَكُمْthat He may test youاَیُّكُمْwhich of youاَحْسَنُ(is) bestعَمَلًا ؕ(in) deedوَ هُوَAnd Heالْعَزِیْزُ(is) the All-Mightyالْغَفُوْرُۙthe Oft-Forgiving الَّذِیْThe One Whoخَلَقَcreatedسَبْعَsevenسَمٰوٰتٍheavensطِبَاقًا ؕone above anotherمَاNotتَرٰیyou seeفِیْinخَلْقِ(the) creationالرَّحْمٰنِ(of) the Most Graciousمِنْanyتَفٰوُتٍ ؕfaultفَارْجِعِSo returnالْبَصَرَ ۙthe visionهَلْcanتَرٰیyou seeمِنْanyفُطُوْرٍ flaw ثُمَّThenارْجِعِreturnالْبَصَرَthe visionكَرَّتَیْنِtwice againیَنْقَلِبْWill returnاِلَیْكَto youالْبَصَرُthe visionخَاسِئًاhumbledوَّ هُوَwhile itحَسِیْرٌ (is) fatigued وَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyزَیَّنَّاWe have beautifiedالسَّمَآءَthe heavenالدُّنْیَاnearestبِمَصَابِیْحَwith lampsوَ جَعَلْنٰهَاand We have made themرُجُوْمًا(as) missilesلِّلشَّیٰطِیْنِfor the devilsوَ اَعْتَدْنَاand We have preparedلَهُمْfor themعَذَابَpunishmentالسَّعِیْرِ (of) the Blaze وَ لِلَّذِیْنَAnd for those whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelievedبِرَبِّهِمْin their Lordعَذَابُ(is the) punishmentجَهَنَّمَ ؕ(of) Hellوَ بِئْسَand wretched isالْمَصِیْرُ the destination اِذَاۤWhenاُلْقُوْاthey are thrownفِیْهَاthereinسَمِعُوْاthey will hearلَهَاfrom itشَهِیْقًاan inhalingوَّ هِیَwhile itتَفُوْرُۙboils up تَكَادُIt almostتَمَیَّزُburstsمِنَwithالْغَیْظِ ؕrageكُلَّمَاۤEvery timeاُلْقِیَis thrownفِیْهَاthereinفَوْجٌa groupسَاَلَهُمْwill ask themخَزَنَتُهَاۤits keepersاَلَمْDid notیَاْتِكُمْcome to youنَذِیْرٌ a warner قَالُوْاThey will sayبَلٰیYesقَدْindeedجَآءَنَاcame to usنَذِیْرٌ ۙ۬a warnerفَكَذَّبْنَاbut we deniedوَ قُلْنَاand we saidمَاNotنَزَّلَhas sent downاللّٰهُAllahمِنْanyشَیْءٍ ۖۚthingاِنْNotاَنْتُمْyou (are)اِلَّاbutفِیْinضَلٰلٍerrorكَبِیْرٍ great وَ قَالُوْاAnd they will sayلَوْIfكُنَّاwe hadنَسْمَعُlistenedاَوْorنَعْقِلُreasonedمَاnotكُنَّاwe (would) have beenفِیْۤamongاَصْحٰبِ(the) companionsالسَّعِیْرِ (of) the Blaze فَاعْتَرَفُوْاThen they (will) confessبِذَنْۢبِهِمْ ۚtheir sinsفَسُحْقًاso away withلِّاَصْحٰبِ(the) companionsالسَّعِیْرِ (of) the Blaze اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoیَخْشَوْنَfearرَبَّهُمْtheir Lordبِالْغَیْبِunseenلَهُمْfor themمَّغْفِرَةٌ(is) forgivenessوَّ اَجْرٌand a rewardكَبِیْرٌ great 67. Al-Mulk Page 563وَ اَسِرُّوْاAnd concealقَوْلَكُمْyour speechاَوِorاجْهَرُوْاproclaimبِهٖ ؕitاِنَّهٗIndeed Heعَلِیْمٌۢ(is the) All-Knowerبِذَاتِof what (is in)الصُّدُوْرِ the breasts اَلَاDoes notیَعْلَمُknowمَنْ(the One) Whoخَلَقَ ؕcreatedوَ هُوَAnd Heاللَّطِیْفُ(is) the Subtleالْخَبِیْرُ۠the All-Aware

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Translation of Verse 1-14In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(67:1) Blessed is He¹ in Whose Hand is the dominion of the Universe,² and Who has power over everything;³

(67:2) Who created death and life that He might try you as to which of you is better in deed.⁴ He is the Most Mighty, the Most Forgiving;⁵

(67:3) Who created the seven heavens one upon another.⁶ You will see no incongruity in the Merciful One's creation.⁷ Turn your vision again, can you see any flaw?⁸

(67:4) Then turn your vision again, and then again; in the end your vision will come back to you, worn out and frustrated.

(67:5) We have adorned the lower heaven⁹ with lamps,¹⁰ and have made them a means to drive away the satans.¹¹ We have prepared for them the chastisement of the Blazing Fire.

(67:6) The chastisement of Hell awaits those who disbelieve in their Lord.¹² What a wretched destination!

(67:7) When they will be cast into it, they will hear it roar as it boils,¹³

(67:8) as though it will burst with rage. Every time a multitude is cast into it, its keepers will ask them: “Did no warner come to you?”¹⁴

(67:9) They will say: “Yes, a warner came to us, but we gave the lie to him and said: 'Allah has revealed nothing. You are surely in huge error.'¹⁵

(67:10) They will say: 'If we had only listened and understood,¹⁶ we would not be among the inmates of the Blazing Fire.'”

(67:11) Thus will they confess their sins.¹⁷ Damned are these inmates of the Blazing Fire.

(67:12) Surely forgiveness and a mighty reward¹⁹ await those who fear Allah without seeing Him.¹⁸

(67:13) Whether you speak in secrecy or aloud, (it is all the same to Allah). He even knows the secrets that lie hidden in the breasts of people.²⁰

(67:14) Would He not know, He Who has created,²¹ when He is All-Subtle,²² All-Aware?

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Commentary

1. The expression tabaraka is an intensive from of barakah. The latter connotes glory and greatness, growth and abundance, permanence and multitudes of goodness. It is used in its intensive form ‘tabaraka’, signifying that God is infinitely blessed and great, and is superior to everyone beside Himself in His being, attributes, and accomplishments. He is the source of boundless blessings and goodness. Moreover, His perfect accomplishments are forever. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. Il, Surah al-A raf 7: n. 43. pp. 34-35; vol. VI, Surah al-Mu’minun 23: n. 14, p. 88 and vol. VIL, Surah al-Furqan 25: nn. 1 and 19, pp. 3-4 and 12-13).

2. As the expression al-mulk is employed here in an absolute sense, the reference is not to some dominion in a limited context. Rather, it stands for God's total control over all that exists. That “in Whose hand is the dominion” does not imply that He possesses a hand in a physical, literal sense. It is used metaphorically in order to convey the idea of His total control, in which no one has any share.

3. God can do whatever He pleases. There is no way to strip Him of His power or to prevent Him from doing what He wills.

4. The purpose underlying the whole system of mankind's life and death is to test and ascertain as to who are the best in their deeds. This brief sentence draws attention to several truths. First, it is God Alone Who gives life and death. None other than Him can grant life. Nor can anyone else bring about death. Secondly, man is granted free will, to choose between doing good or evil. Therefore, man’s life and death is not without purpose. Man’s Creator has placed him on the earth in order to test him. His life in this world represents the duration of his test while death signifies the end of its duration. Thirdly, because of the test, God has provided everyone with an opportunity to do good or evil. This will eventually establish what kind of person he is. Fourthly, God, being man’s Creator, will adjudge who did good and who did evil. Those appearing in this test are not entitled to set the standards of good and evil. God, Who has set the test, will decide this as well. So, those aspiring for success in this test, should find out what criteria have been set by their Creator for good deeds. Fifthly, the word test itself alludes that man will be recompensed according to his performance in the test. Without the component of recompense, a test loses its meaning and purpose.

5. Itis open to two meanings and both are intended. At one level, the message conveyed is that God, notwithstanding, being Most Irresistible and Overwhelming, is extremely Merciful and Affectionate towards His creatures. He is not a cruel and hard task master. The other meaning is that He has every power to punish the culprits. No one has the strength to escape His punishment. However, He forgives those who repent for their misdeeds, refrain from evil, and seek His forgiveness.

6. For details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. I, Surah al- Baqarah, 2: n. 34, p. 58; vol. IV, Surah al-Ra‘d 13: n. 2, pp. 219-220; Surah al-Hijr 15: n. 8, pp. 284-285; vol. V1, Surah al-Hajj 22: n. 113, p. 64, and Surah al-Mu’minun 23: n. 15, p. 89; vol. IX, Surah al-Saffat 37: n. 5, p. 282 and Surah al-Mu’min 40: n. 90.

7. The word tafawut means imbalance, incongruity, and lack of coordination. The verse asserts that one cannot detect any discordance, irregularity, or incoherence in the whole universe. There is nothing discordant in the universe created by God. All of its components are interconnected and stand out for their sense of proportion and balance.

8. The word futur denotes a crack, rift, fissure, cleaving, or breaking apart. The verse means that the whole universe is so well-knit together and everything in it, from a particle on earth to the enormous galaxies, is so coherent and so well connected that no matter how hard one might try, one can find neither any flaw nor any crack in the system. (For further details see Surah Qaf 50: n. 8)

9. “The lower heaven” denotes the heaven whose stars and planets can be observed with the naked eye, without recourse to any astronomical instrument. The farther heaven, however, can be seen only with tools such as a telescope. Then there are heavens still at a further distance to which man does not have access, even with the help of the most powerful astronomical instruments.

10. The use of the Qur’anic expression, masabih, highlights the glory of these heavenly lamps. The verse declares that it is not created by God as a dark, desolate universe. On the contrary, it is profusely adorned with stars whose brightness and luster in the darkness of night baffles the onlooker.

11. This does not mean that the devils are struck with these stars. Nor does it imply that meteorites are there only for shooting the devils. What is emphasized is that the constant and consistent movement of countless meteors in space and their frequent raining, striking the earth with tremendous speed, obstruct the earthly devils from ascending to the heavens. If they ever try, the meteorites drive them away. The above point is made because the soothsayers claimed and the Arabs believed that they exercised control over the devils or maintained some rapport with them. Further, they asserted that the devils bring them news of the unseen, enabling them to foretell the destiny of people. The Qur’an therefore repeatedly rules out the ascent of the devils to the heavens and their eavesdropping. (For details see Towards Understanding the Qur'an, vol. LV, Surah al-Hijr 15: nn. 9-12, pp. 285-286 and vol. IX, Surah al-Saffat 37: nn. 6-7, pp. 282-283.) .

"As to the true nature of these meteorites, nothing can be said with certainty as human knowledge and research so far seems insufficient. In the light of the available information, and on the basis of the observation of meteors fallen on earth, scientists opine that these are found wandering in outer space and, at times, are drawn by earth’s gravity. (For details see Encyclopedia Britannica, 1967 edition, vol. XV, Entry “Meteorites”.)

12. The chastisement of Hell will be the fate of all the men and jinns who disbelieve in their Lord. (For the detailed meaning of “disbelieving in the Lord”, see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. 1, Surah al-Baqarah 2:n. 161, pp. 130-131; vol. Il, Surah al-Nisa’ 4: n. 178, p. 102; vol. V, Surah al-Kahf 18: n. 39, pp. 108-109 and. Surah al-Mu’min 40: n. 3.)

13. The Qur’anic expression shahiq, as used in the verse, stands for the braying of a donkey. This might refer to the sound of Hell itself, or to the sound rising from it because of the crying and screaming of those who have already been flung into it. The latter meaning is reinforced by verse 106 of Surah Hud which speaks of “the sighing and groaning” of the wretched ones in the Hellfire. The former is nonetheless supported by verse 12 of Surah al-Furqan which states that from a place afar the sinners will hear the raging and roaring of the Hellfire. It would be thus correct to assume that the roar will be both of Hellfire itself and of those cast inside it.

14. The keepers of Hell will not ask them this question with a view to ascertaining whether a warner from God had come to them or not. This question is rather aimed at convincing them that no injustice has been committed in hurling them into the Hellfire. They would like the culprits to openly admit that God had not kept them in the dark about the truth. Messengers were sent for this reason and they had clearly told them about the ultimate reality and the straight way. Likewise, they had eloquently warned that any deviation from the straightway would land them in Hellfire, the truth which now stares them in the face. Since they did not listen to the Messengers, they deserve the punishment now being meted out to them.

The Qur’an recurrently emphasizes the truth that God has not subjected man to a test about which he is unaware. He has not been left misguided about following or transgressing from the straight way. On the contrary, he has been fully instructed about the path he should follow and for this, God has devised an elaborate system for man’s guidance. As part of the same divine dispensation, Messengers and Scriptures were sent down. Man’s test therefore consists in his believing or disbelieving in the Messengers and Scriptures. He is being tested to ascertain whether he follows the straight path or pursues his own desires and fancies while disregarding divine guidance. Thus, Messenger ship is a clinching argument and evidence against man, as his fate hinges on his believing or disbelieving in Messengers. After the advent of Messengers, no person can plead that he was in the dark about the truth or that he was harshly tested while he was ignorant of it, and he is being punished despite his innocence. The above point features in the Qur’an at several places. Some instances in point are Towards Understanding the Qur’an, vol. I, Surah al- Bagqarah 2: 213, n. 230, vol. I, Surah al-Nisa’ 4: 41-42 and 165, nn: 64 and 208, Pp: 40 and 115; Surah al-An‘am 6: 130-131, nn 98-100, pp. 274-275; vol. V, Surah Bani Isra’il 17: 15, n. 17, p. 30; Surah Ta Ha 20: 134; vol. VIL, Surah al-Qasas 28: 47,59 and 65 nn. 66 and 83, pp. 226-227 and 237; Surah Fatir 35: 37 and Surah al-Mu'min 40: 50 n. 66.)

15. Not only you yourselves but also those who believed in and followed you are misguided and in gross error.

16. Regretfully, they will realize that as genuine seekers of truth they should have listened: to and followed the Messengers’ teachings or they should have acted on reason in reflecting on their message. It is worth noting that in the above verse, listening is given precedence to understanding because the first and foremost step for a seeker of truth is to listen attentively to the Messenger ’s teachings or to study the message if it is available in its written form. The next stage is of abiding by it. Without the guidance of the Messengers and acting on reason alone one cannot grasp the truth.

17. The word dhanb (sin) is used here in its singular form. It refers to their fundamental sin which made them worthy of Hell; their denial of Messengers and their refusal to obey them. All other sins flowed as its consequences.

18. “Fearing Allah without seeing Him” lies at the core of Islamic ethics. Avoiding an evil because one personally takes it as evil, or because it is universally branded as evil, or out of fear of any loss in the world, or any apprehension of danger by any worldly power, is not a sound basis for ethics and morality, for one may err in his judgement. Or, guided by his own peculiar notions he may take some evil as good and vice versa. As to the secular concepts of good and evil, these are not consistent and are liable to change. Moral philosophers have failed to reach consensus about any universal or permanent criteria about morals, not only now but in the past too. Avoidance of some harm is not a tenable ground for the ethical code. If one shuns evil simply because it may harm him personally in this world, he may commit the same when he does not apprehend any harm. Likewise, the fear of being caught out by some worldly authority cannot ensure one’s proper moral behavior, for it is common knowledge that worldly authorities are neither omnipotent nor omniscient. Numerous crimes may be committed, without these ever coming into their knowledge. Then there are numerous ways and means for avoiding and evading detection and punishment. Secular laws cannot embrace all the crimes. Most of the evils are beyond their purview, including those which are worse in degree than the cognizable offences. This explains why Islam, being the true faith, has raised an elaborate superstructure of ethics on the fundamental principle that all evil be shunned out of the fear of God, even though one cannot see Him physically. God watches man in all circumstances and no one can escape from His grip. God has instructed man in a broad, universal moral code, spelling out what is good and what is evil. Shunning evil and doing good in accordance with this code and out of the fear of Allah carries real weight in Islam. If one does not commit evil or does good for any other consideration, he will not get any reward for this in the Hereafter. For such actions are akin to a structure raised on sand, without any substance or stability.

19. There are certainly two consequences of fearing God without seeing Him. The first is that one’s lapses committed owing to human weakness will be forgiven, provided that these were not prompted by one’s sheer disregard of God. The second is that one will get great reward for his good deeds done out of his sincere belief in God.

20. This address is directed at everyone, whether believers or disbelievers. Believers are exhorted that they should lead their lives with the constant thought that all their actions, both open and secret, their intentions, and the ideas crossing their minds are fully known to God. By the same token, it carries a note of warning for the disbelievers that no matter what they do in sheer disregard of God, they cannot escape God's punishment.

21. An alternative translation could be: “Would He not know His own creatures?” This reinforces the fact that how is it possible that the Creator is unaware of the condition of His creatures. The creatures may be ignorant of their own condition. However, this does not hold true of the Creator, for it is He Who has shaped every sinew and fiber of the hearts and minds of His creation. Again, it is He Who allows every creature to continue breathing and to use his body parts. Given this, how can anything of yours remain hidden from Him?

22. al-Latif, as used in the Qur’anic text, stands for one who acts subtly and who knows the hidden truths.