Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 22 Al-Haj, Ayat 65-72

اَلَمۡ تَرَ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ سَخَّرَ لَـكُمۡ مَّا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ وَالۡـفُلۡكَ تَجۡرِىۡ فِى الۡبَحۡرِ بِاَمۡرِهٖ ؕ وَيُمۡسِكُ السَّمَآءَ اَنۡ تَقَعَ عَلَى الۡاَرۡضِ اِلَّا بِاِذۡنِهٖ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ بِالنَّاسِ لَرَءُوۡفٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏ ﴿22:65﴾ وَهُوَ الَّذِىۡۤ اَحۡيَاكُمۡ ثُمَّ يُمِيۡتُكُمۡ ثُمَّ يُحۡيِيۡكُمۡ​ ؕ اِنَّ الۡاِنۡسَانَ لَـكَفُوۡرٌ‏ ﴿22:66﴾ لِّـكُلِّ اُمَّةٍ جَعَلۡنَا مَنۡسَكًا هُمۡ نَاسِكُوۡهُ​ فَلَا يُنَازِعُنَّكَ فِى الۡاَمۡرِ​ وَادۡعُ اِلٰى رَبِّكَ​ ؕ اِنَّكَ لَعَلٰى هُدًى مُّسۡتَقِيۡمٍ‏ ﴿22:67﴾ وَاِنۡ جَادَلُوۡكَ فَقُلِ اللّٰهُ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ‏ ﴿22:68﴾ اللّٰهُ يَحۡكُمُ بَيۡنَكُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ فِيۡمَا كُنۡتُمۡ فِيۡهِ تَخۡتَلِفُوۡنَ‏  ﴿22:69﴾ اَلَمۡ تَعۡلَمۡ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا فِى السَّمَآءِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ اِنَّ ذٰ لِكَ فِىۡ كِتٰبٍ​ ؕ اِنَّ ذٰ لِكَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ يَسِيۡرٌ‏ ﴿22:70﴾ وَيَعۡبُدُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ مَا لَمۡ يُنَزِّلۡ بِهٖ سُلۡطٰنًا وَّمَا لَـيۡسَ لَهُمۡ بِهٖ عِلۡمٌ​ؕ وَمَا لِلظّٰلِمِيۡنَ مِنۡ نَّصِيۡرٍ‏ ﴿22:71﴾ وَاِذَا تُتۡلٰى عَلَيۡهِمۡ اٰيٰـتُـنَا بَيِّنٰتٍ تَعۡرِفُ فِىۡ وُجُوۡهِ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا الۡمُنۡكَرَ​ ؕ يَكَادُوۡنَ يَسۡطُوۡنَ بِالَّذِيۡنَ يَتۡلُوۡنَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ اٰيٰتِنَا​ ؕ قُلۡ اَفَاُنَبِّئُكُمۡ بِشَرٍّ مِّنۡ ذٰ لِكُمُ​ ؕ اَلنَّارُؕ وَعَدَهَا اللّٰهُ الَّذِيۡنَ كَفَرُوۡا​ ۚ وَبِئۡسَ الۡمَصِيۡرُ‏ ﴿22:72﴾

(22:65) Have you not seen how Allah has subjected to you all that is in the earth, and the vessels that sail in the sea by His command,113 and it is He Who holds back the sky that it may not fall on earth except by His leave? Surely Allah is Most Gentle, Ever Compassionate to people. (22:66) And it is He Who has endowed you with life and it is He who causes you to die, and it is He Who will then resurrect you. Man is indeed extremely prone to denying the Truth.114 (22:67) For every people115 We have prescribed a way of worship116 which they follow. So, (O Muhammad), let them not dispute with you concerning this,117 and call them to Your Lord. You are certainly on the Straight Way.118 (22:68) And if they dispute with you, say: "Allah knows well what you do. (22:69) Allah will judge among you on the Day of Resurrection concerning matters about which you disagreed." (22:70) Are you not aware that Allah knows all that is in the heaven and the earth? Surely it is all preserved in a Book. Indeed that is easy with Allah.119 (22:71) Instead of Allah they worship those concerning whom He has revealed no sanction and concerning whom they have no true knowledge.120 None shall be able to help such evil-doers.121 (22:72) When Our Signs are plainly recited to them, you will perceive utter repugnance on their faces and it all but seems as if they will soon pounce upon those who recite Our Signs to them. Say: "Shall I tell you what is worse than that?122 The Fire with which Allah has threatened those who disbelieve. That is truly an evil end."


Notes

113. Here “the heaven” implies the whole of the universe above and below the earth where everything is held in its own place and sphere.

114. That is, though man sees every reality presented by the Prophets, yet he denies it.

115. That is, the community of every Prophet.

116. Here the Arabic word mansak has been used in its most comprehensive sense which also includes sacrifice (verse 34). It means service, worship, in short, the entire way of life. The same theme has been expressed in (Surah Al-Maidah, Ayat 48): We prescribed a law and a way of life for each of you.

117. That is, now you have brought a way of life just as the former Prophets brought ways of life for their people. Therefore the people have no right to dispute with you concerning the law you have brought.

118. This confirms the explanation given in( E.N. 117) above.

119. In order to understand the significance of this paragraph, we should keep in view (verse 55- 57) with which this is connected.

120. That is, neither there is any mention of their deities in any revealed Book nor do they have any other source of knowledge about them nor any authority to worship them. Therefore, it is sheer ignorance that they have associated their self invented deities with Allah and worship them, make vows and offer sacrifices to them and supplicate them for their needs etc.

121. This is to warn the foolish people that they are absolutely wrong in expecting that their deities would help them in this world and in the Hereafter because they have no power to help them. Thus, they will find no helper, for Allah alone could help them and they have already displeased Him by their rebellious behavior.

122. That is, you will meet with a far worse state of anguish than that which you display against those who recite divine revelations to you.