45. In the preceding passage (verses 23-50), the stories of some Prophets have been related as individuals, but in this verse all of them have been addressed together. However, it does not mean that they were present at one and the same place at the time of address. As a matter of fact, this way of address has been adopted to show that the message of all the Messengers, who came to different countries in different ages, was the same and they all belonged to one and the same community, (verse 52). Therefore the message to one Messenger was meant to be the message for each one of them. In this verse, they have been addressed together as if they were present at one and the same place in order to emphasize this same aspect of the matter. But it is an irony that some people of this age have concluded that this verse has been addressed to those messengers who were to come after Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is obvious that this interpretation cannot fit in the context in which the verse occurs.
46. “Pure things” implies that they should be wholesome and must have been earned in lawful ways. Here the instruction, “eat of the pure things”, is meant to refute the theory and practice of asceticism. The Quran teaches the middle way between the life of asceticism and that of licence. The fact that the instruction, “eat of the pure things”, precedes “do righteous deeds”, is meant to impress that righteous deeds are meaningless without eating lawful provisions. The Prophet (peace be upon him) impressed this very thing by saying: O people, Allah is pure and loves pure things. Then he recited this (verse 51) and said: A person makes a long pilgrimage in a disheveled condition and prays with raised hands, O my Lord, O my Lord, whereas he eats unlawful food, wears unlawful clothes and has been brought up on unlawful provisions. How can such a one expect that Allah will grant his prayer? (Related by Abu Hurairah).
47. The original Arabic word ummat (community) comprises those individuals who have some basic things common among them. All the Messengers of Allah belonged to one and the same community because they had the same creed and the same religion and the same message. See also (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayats 130-133, 213); (Surah Aal-Imran, Ayats 19-20, 33-34, 64,79-85); (Surah An- Nisa, Ayats 150-152); (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayats 59, 65, 73, 85); (Surah Yusuf, Ayats 37-40); (Surah Maryam, Ayats 49-59); and (Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayats 71-93) along with the relevant E.Ns.
48. This is not a mere statement of a fact, but it is a link of the same argument which is being put forward from the very beginning of the Surah. The argument is this: Islam has been the real and original religion of all the Prophets from Noah to Jesus (peace be upon them all), because all of them brought and taught the same doctrines of Tauhid and the Hereafter. On the contrary, all the other religions are the perversions of the real and original religion, which has been tampered with in many ways. Therefore, those who are following the perverted religions are in the wrong and not the Prophet (peace be upon him) who is inviting them to the real and original religion.
49. There is a gap between (verses 53 and 54), which has been left to the listener to fill, because the background of the whole discourse itself helps to fill it. Five years had passed since the Prophet (peace be upon him) had been inviting his people to the original religion. He had left no stone unturned to convince them by reasoning and by historical evidence that his message was based on the truth. His people had seen the practical results of the acceptance of his message and had witnessed his own high character which was by itself a guarantee that he was a trustworthy man. But in spite of all this, his people were rejoicing in their erroneous beliefs which they had inherited from their forefathers. This was not all. They had become his bitter enemies and were trying to defeat him and his message by every wicked machination.
After filling the gap, the meaning of (verse 51) becomes quite clear. It does not mean that the Prophet (peace be upon him) should give up his preaching and leave the disbelievers to themselves. This way of address has been employed to shake and rouse the disbelievers. This verse warns them to realize that the time was coming near when they would see for themselves that the Messenger was in the right and they were in the wrong.
50. This question has been posed as a proof of the main theme of the Surah. It is meant to remove their misconception of success, welfare and prosperity, which the disbelievers had formed to delude themselves. According to them, the one, who enjoyed the good things of life and wielded power and influence in the society, had attained success. On the other hand, the he who was deprived of these things was a failure. This misconception had involved them in another serious misunderstanding. They thought that the one who had attained success was in the right, and the beloved of Allah. Otherwise, how could he have attained all the successes? On the contrary, the one who was apparently deprived of these things was surely wrong in his creed and erroneous in his deeds, and was under the wrath of God (or gods). As this misconception is one of the greatest deviations of the materialists, the Quran has stated it and refuted it in different ways at different places and made the reality plain. For instance, see (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayats 126, 212); (Surah Al-Aaraf, Ayat 32); (Surah At- Taubah, Ayats 55, 69, 85); (Surah Yunus, Ayat 17); (Surah Houd, Ayats 3, 27-31, 38-39); (Surah Ar-Rad, Ayat 26); (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayats 28, 32-43, 103-105); (Surah Maryam, Ayats 77-80); (Surah Ta-Ha, Ayats 131-132); (Surah Al-Anbiya, Ayat 44) along with the relevant E.Ns. In order to remove the above mentioned misconceptions one should keep in view the following.
(1) Success is a far higher thing than the material prosperity and the transitory success of an individual, community or nation.
(2) It is absolutely wrong to consider prosperity and success as a criterion of truth and falsehood.
(3) It should be noted well that this world is a place of test and trial and not a place of reward and retribution. It is true that even in this world, sometimes there is some punishment or reward, but it is on a very limited scale and even in this, there is an aspect of the test. Therefore it is an utter folly to consider material success and prosperity to be a proof that the recipient is in the right and so the beloved of the Lord, and vice versa. Moreover, the tests and trials of individuals and communities are of many varieties and a seeker after truth must understand at the outset that the worldly success or failure of the people is not the result of ultimate reward or punishment and cannot be regarded as the criterion for the right or wrong creed, morals and actions and a sign of being the beloved of God or otherwise.
(4) One must have a firm belief that truth and righteousness will ultimately gain victory over falsehood and wickedness. As regards to the criterion of truth and falsehood and right and wrong, one must judge this in the light of revelations and teachings of the Messengers, because common sense confirms the same, and it is also supported by the general conception which mankind has always had of good and evil.
(5) As a corollary of the above, it would have become clear that according to the Quran (and this is confirmed by common sense), the conception of reward and punishment should also be different from the common one. For instance, if a wicked person or community is enjoying prosperity, it is not a reward of its evil deeds but a harder test for it and it is not a blessing but the wrath of Allah. It means that Allah has decided to punish the prosperous people with a severe scourge. On the other hand, if the righteous people are suffering from hardships and afflictions, it is not a punishment from Allah but a blessing in disguise to pass them through the fire to remove impurity, if any, from the pure gold. If this hard trial is a blessing for the righteous people, it is a test for the wicked people to give them a severe punishment for the persecution of the former.
51. That is, they do not live a carefree life devoid of the fear of God. They live in awe of Him and are fully conscious that He oversees and watches them in all their motives and actions and they are thus deterred from thinking and doing evil.
52. Signs here means both divine revelations to the Prophets and the signs found in man’s own self and in the universe around him. To believe in the verses of the Book is to affirm them, and to believe in the signs of human self and the universe is to affirm the realities which they point to.
53. Though belief in the revelations itself ingrains the doctrine of Tauhid in the hearts, yet the believers have been warned to guard against shirk. This is because, in spite of believing in the revelations, man is inclined to commit shirk in one form or the other, for instance, in exaggerating the teachings of the Prophets and righteous people, supplicating and serving others than Allah, etc.
54. This verse (60) may be elaborated like this: They serve their Lord and try their best to obey Him and do righteous deeds, but all along they remain humble in their hearts and are not puffed up with the pride of their piety. Nay, in spite of all their good deeds, their hearts are always filled with awe that they shall have to render an account to their Lord, and they are not sure whether they will come out successful in the judgment of their Lord or not. A concrete interpretation of this verse is afforded by Umar. Although he served his Allah in a way that was exemplary, yet he was so afraid of accountability to Him that he is reported to have said before death: I shall consider it a favor, if I am neither rewarded nor punished in the Hereafter. Hasan Basri has expressed the same thing in a beautiful manner: A believer obeys Allah and is yet fearful of Him, and a hypocrite disobeys Allah and is yet fearless of Him.
55. The enunciation of this fundamental proposition, in the context in which it occurs, is very meaningful. In the preceding passage (verses 57-61), the characteristics of those people, who deserve true success, have been stated, and in this (verse 62), it has been made clear that those excellent qualities can be attained by anyone who tries to achieve true success, as if to say: The conditions We have laid down for true success are within the reach of those who strive for it, for “We do not lay a burden”. Therefore if you, O disbelievers, desire to achieve true success, you should follow the example of the believers from among yourselves, who have really attained it.
56. According to the Quran, an elaborate conduct book of every individual is being maintained accurately. This records every word he utters, every deed or act he performs, even every hidden thought and intention that he cherishes in his heart and mind. See also (Surah Al-Kahf, Ayat 49 and E.N. 46) thereof.
57. That is, neither a person will be accused of and punished for something he had not done, nor will he be deprived of the full reward of a good act that he had done.
58. They are heedless that everything they are saying and doing, is being recorded in some book and that they shall have to render an account of everything.
59. The epicureans will probably be punished in this worldly life because in the enjoyment of luxury and pleasure they forgot the rights of the other people and transgressed the prescribed limits.
60. Juar is bellowing by a bull painfully. Here the word has been used tauntingly for a groaning person who does not deserve any mercy, as if to say: Now that you are going to be punished for your misdeeds, you have started bellowing.
61. That is, they will be told this at that time. 6
62. That is to say, in the worldly life you did not pay any heed to what the Messenger said. Nay, you did not even like to hear his voice.
63. The meeting places where the people of Makkah gathered together at night to hold consultations, to gossip and tell tales, etc.
64. That is, do they mean to imply that they reject the message because they do not understand it? Whereas the Quran is not an enigma, nor is it being presented in an incomprehensible language, nor does it deal with themes and subjects which are beyond human understanding. The fact is that they understand everything it presents, but they oppose and reject it, because they have no intention to follow and believe what it presents.
65. That is, is the Quran presenting something which they had never heard before? No, that is not so. Allah had been sending His messages through His Prophets, who came to Arabia and in the adjoining lands and they are well acquainted with them, especially with Prophets Abraham and Ismael, and Houd, Saleh and Shoaib (peace be upon them all), who are acknowledged by them as Prophets of God, and who were not idol worshipers but enjoined the worship of One God. For further explanation, see (E.N. 84 of Surah Al-Furqan), (E.N. 5 of Surah As-Sajdah )and (E.N. 35 of Surah Saba).
66. That is, do they reject the message because Muhammad (peace be upon him), who is inviting them to it, is a stranger among them? No, this is not so, for he was born and bred among them in a noble family. He bears a pure and high character. He has been truthful, upright, trustworthy, honest and morally chaste throughout his life, He is a noble and gentle person, peace-loving and just by nature, honest in word and deed, sympathetic and helpful to the weak and poor. And they themselves testified to all this before he claimed to be a Messenger of Allah. Then he has been consistently preaching the same message from the first day of his mission. Then whatever he has preached, he has first practiced it himself and demonstrated its truth. There has been no contradiction between his word and deed. He and his followers have faithfully and honestly put into practice the message of the Quran and shown excellent results. For further details, see (E.N. 21 of Surah Al-Anaam), (E.N. 21 of Surah Yunus) and (E.N. 105 of Surah Bani Israil).
67. That is, do they reject his message because they regard Muhammad (peace be upon him) to be possessed by a jinn? No, this is also not correct, because in their hearts, they themselves regard him as a wise and sagacious person. It is therefore ridiculous to regard a man like him to be possessed by a jinn. For, such a person cannot say wise things and do noble deeds like him. How strange that a person possessed by a jinn (or having epileptic fits according to the western orientalists) should utter and recite sublime discourses of the Quran and start and guide a successful movement which should revolutionize the way of life not only of his own people but of the whole world.
68. This brief sentence expresses a great reality which should be understood well. The foolish people in the world generally feel offended by a person who points out the truth to them. They do not like to hear and consider the truth because it goes against their desires and interests but the truth remains the truth and cannot be changed after one's personal whims and wishes. Man is subject to the eternal and unalterable laws operating in the universe and has therefore to adjust his thinking, desires and conduct accordingly and should try to discover the truth and reality through experience, reasoning and observation. Only a foolish person can stick to and regard his personal whims, wishes and prejudices to be the reality and refuse to hear and consider any argument, however rational and scientific, simply because it goes against them.
69. Here the word zikr means.
(1) Mention of human nature and its demands. (2) Admonition. (3) Esteem, honor and fame.
In the light of these, the full meaning of the verse will be: Your rejection of the Quran is irrational, for it contains the mention of those things which develop the best in human nature. It is an admonition that will result in your own good and well being, and it will bring esteem and honour for you in this world as well as in the Hereafter.
70. This was yet another proof of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Prophethood. He was conveying the message without demanding any recompense for it, and he had no self interest in it. Nay, he had staked his business, reputation, peaceful home life, relationships with the unbelieving kindred for the success of his mission and was being ruthlessly persecuted for its sake. A selfish person could not have risked his all for the sake of only worldly motives. He would rather have exploited the racial and tribal prejudices of his people to become their ruler and leader. On the contrary, his message not only cut at the root of those prejudices but tended to destroy the very bases which helped his tribe to wield influence and authority over the polytheists of Arabia. This is an argument which the Quran has advanced again and again as a proof of the truth of the mission of the other Prophets as well. See (Surah Al-Anaam, Ayat 90); (Surah Yunus, Ayat 72); (Surah Hud, Ayats 29, 51); (Surah Yusuf, Ayat 104); (Surah Ya-Seen, Ayat 21) along with the relevant E.Ns.
71. This was the real reason why they were deviating from the right path. As they did not believe in the Hereafter, they thought that no account would be taken from them of what they did in this world. Therefore it did not matter whether they followed the truth or falsehood. Their only aim in life was to gratify the lusts of the flesh and gratify them in the best way possible.
72. The affliction alluded to in this verse was the famine which occurred in Makkah some time after the advent of Prophethood. According to Abdullah bin Masud, when the Quraish persistently refused to accept the invitation of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and started putting up stiff resistance, he prayed: O Allah, help me against them with a seven year famine like the seven year famine of the time of Prophet Joseph. So a severe famine started in Makkah with the result that people were obliged to eat carrion. This famine has been alluded to in a number of Makki Surahs. For instance see (Surah Al-Anaam, Ayats 42-44); (Surah Al- Aaraf, Ayats 94-99); (Surah Yunus, Ayats 11, 12, 21); (Surah An-Nahl, Ayats 112-113) and (Surah Ad-Dukhan, Ayats 10- 16 ) along with the relevant E.Ns.
73. The Arabic word mublis is used for one whom frustration makes so desperate and obdurate that he does not hesitate to resort to any crime. The Devil has been called Iblis for the same reason.