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Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
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 Surah Al-Anbya 21:11-23 [2/7] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
وَكَمْAnd how many
قَصَمْنَاWe (have) shattered
مِنof
قَرْيَةٍa town
كَانَتْ(that) was
ظَالِمَةًunjust,
وَأَنشَأْنَاand We produced
بَعْدَهَاafter them
قَوْمًا ءَاخَرِينَanother people.
﴿١١﴾
فَلَمَّآThen when
أَحَسُّواْthey perceived
بَأْسَنَآOur torment,
إِذَاbehold,
هُمthey
مِّنْهَاfrom it
يَرْكُضُونَwere fleeing.
﴿١٢﴾
لَا تَرْكُضُواْFlee not,
وَٱرْجِعُوٓاْbut return
إِلَىٰto
مَآwhat
أُتْرِفْتُمْyou were given luxury
فِيهِin it
وَمَسَـٰكِنِكُمْand to your homes,
لَعَلَّكُمْso that you may
تُسْــَٔلُونَbe questioned.
﴿١٣﴾
قَالُواْThey said,
يَـٰوَيْلَنَآ"O woe to us!
إِنَّاIndeed, [we]
كُنَّاwe were
ظَـٰلِمِينَwrongdoers."
﴿١٤﴾
فَمَاThen not
زَالَتceased
تِّلْكَ[this]
دَعْوَٮٰهُمْtheir cry
حَتَّىٰuntil
جَعَلْنَـٰهُمْWe made them
حَصِيدًاreaped
خَـٰمِدِينَextinct.
﴿١٥﴾
وَمَاAnd not
خَلَقْنَاWe created
ٱلسَّمَآءَthe heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضَand the earth
وَمَاand what
بَيْنَهُمَا(is) between them
لَـٰعِبِينَ(for) playing.
﴿١٦﴾
لَوْIf
أَرَدْنَآWe intended
أَنthat
نَّتَّخِذَWe take
لَهْوًاa pastime,
لَّٱتَّخَذْنَـٰهُsurely We (could have) taken it
مِنfrom
لَّدُنَّآUs,
إِنif
كُنَّاWe were
فَـٰعِلِينَdoers.
﴿١٧﴾
بَلْNay,
نَقْذِفُWe hurl
بِٱلْحَقِّthe truth
عَلَىagainst
ٱلْبَـٰطِلِ[the] falsehood,
فَيَدْمَغُهُۥand it breaks its head,
فَإِذَاbehold,
هُوَit (is)
زَاهِقٌ‌ۚvanishing.
وَلَكُمُAnd for you
ٱلْوَيْلُ(is) destruction
مِمَّاfor what
تَصِفُونَyou ascribe.
﴿١٨﴾
وَلَهُۥAnd to Him (belongs)
مَنwhoever
فِى(is) in
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِthe heavens
وَٱلْأَرْضِ‌ۚand the earth.
وَمَنْAnd (those) who
عِندَهُۥ(are) near Him
لَاnot
يَسْتَكْبِرُونَthey are arrogant
عَنْto
عِبَادَتِهِۦworship Him
وَلَاand not
يَسْتَحْسِرُونَthey tire.
﴿١٩﴾
يُسَبِّحُونَThey glorify (Him)
ٱلَّيْلَ[the] night
وَٱلنَّهَارَand [the] day,
لَاnot
يَفْتُرُونَthey slacken.
﴿٢٠﴾
أَمِOr
ٱتَّخَذُوٓاْ(have) they taken
ءَالِهَةًgods
مِّنَfrom
ٱلْأَرْضِthe earth,
هُمْthey
يُنشِرُونَraise (the dead)?
﴿٢١﴾
لَوْIf
كَانَ(there) were
فِيهِمَآin both of them
ءَالِهَةٌgods
إِلَّاbesides
ٱللَّهُAllah,
لَفَسَدَتَا‌ۚsurely they (would) have been ruined.
فَسُبْحَـٰنَSo glorified
ٱللَّهِ(is) Allah,
رَبِّLord
ٱلْعَرْشِ(of) the Throne
عَمَّا(above) what
يَصِفُونَthey attribute.
﴿٢٢﴾
لَاNot
يُسْــَٔلُHe (can) be questioned
عَمَّاabout what
يَفْعَلُHe does,
وَهُمْbut they
يُسْــَٔلُونَwill be questioned.
﴿٢٣﴾

وَكَمۡ قَصَمۡنَا مِنۡ قَرۡيَةٍ كَانَتۡ ظَالِمَةً وَّاَنۡشَاۡنَا بَعۡدَهَا قَوۡمًا اٰخَرِيۡنَ‏  فَلَمَّاۤ اَحَسُّوۡا بَاۡسَنَاۤ اِذَا هُمۡ مِّنۡهَا يَرۡكُضُوۡنَؕ‏  لَا تَرۡكُضُوۡا وَ ارۡجِعُوۡۤا اِلٰى مَاۤ اُتۡرِفۡتُمۡ فِيۡهِ وَمَسٰكِنِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُسۡـئَلُوۡنَ‏  قَالُوۡا يٰوَيۡلَنَاۤ اِنَّا كُنَّا ظٰلِمِيۡنَ‏  فَمَا زَالَتۡ تِّلۡكَ دَعۡوٰٮهُمۡ حَتّٰى جَعَلۡنٰهُمۡ حَصِيۡدًا خٰمِدِيۡنَ‏   وَمَا خَلَقۡنَا السَّمَآءَ وَالۡاَرۡضَ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا لٰعِبِيۡنَ‏  لَوۡ اَرَدۡنَاۤ اَنۡ نَّـتَّخِذَ لَهۡوًا لَّا تَّخَذۡنٰهُ مِنۡ لَّدُنَّاۤ  ۖ  اِنۡ كُنَّا فٰعِلِيۡنَ‏  بَلۡ نَـقۡذِفُ بِالۡحَـقِّ عَلَى الۡبَاطِلِ فَيَدۡمَغُهٗ فَاِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ​ ؕ وَلَـكُمُ الۡوَيۡلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُوۡنَ‏  وَلَهٗ مَنۡ فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ وَمَنۡ عِنۡدَهٗ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُوۡنَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِهٖ وَلَا يَسۡتَحۡسِرُوۡنَ​ۚ‏  يُسَبِّحُوۡنَ الَّيۡلَ وَالنَّهَارَ لَا يَفۡتُرُوۡنَ‏  اَمِ اتَّخَذُوۡۤا اٰلِهَةً مِّنَ الۡاَرۡضِ هُمۡ يُنۡشِرُوۡنَ‏  لَوۡ كَانَ فِيۡهِمَاۤ اٰلِهَةٌ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ لَـفَسَدَتَا​ۚ فَسُبۡحٰنَ اللّٰهِ رَبِّ الۡعَرۡشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُوۡنَ‏  لَا يُسۡـئَـلُ عَمَّا يَفۡعَلُ وَهُمۡ يُسۡـئَـلُوۡنَ‏ 
Translation
(21:11) How many a wrong-doing town did We shatter and then raise up another people. (21:12) Then, when they perceived Our chastisement13 they took to their heels and fled. (21:13) (They were told): "Flee not, but return to your comforts and to your dwellings. You are likely to be questioned."14 (21:14) They said: "Woe to us; surely we were wrong-doers." (21:15) They did not cease to cry this until We reduced them to stubble, still and silent. (21:16) We did not create in sport the heavens and the earth and all that lies between the two.15 (21:17) Had it been Our will to find a pastime, We would have found one near at hand; if at all We were inclined to do so.16 (21:18) Nay, We hurl the Truth at falsehood so that the Truth crushes falsehood, and lo! it vanishes. Woe to you for what you utter!17 (21:19) To Him18 belongs whosoever dwells in the heavens and on earth. Those (angels) that are with Him19 neither disdain to serve Him out of pride, nor do they weary of it.20 (21:20) They glorify Him night and day, without flagging. (21:21) Have they taken earthly gods who are such that they raise up the dead to life?21 (21:22) Had there been any gods in the heavens and the earth apart from Allah, the order of both the heavens and the earth would have gone to ruins.22 Glory be to Allah, the Lord of the Throne,23 Who is far above their false descriptions of Him. (21:23) None shall question Him about what He does, but they shall be questioned.
Commentary

13. That is, when they realized that Allah’s scourge was actually coming.

14. This is a very meaningful sentence. It may mean:

(1) Examine this scourge minutely so that if someone asks you about it, you may be able to give an accurate account of it.

(2) Hold your grand meetings as usual. Perhaps your servants may come with folded hands before you to receive orders.

(3) Hold your councils as before, perhaps people may still come to ask for your wise counsels.

15. This was to refute their entire conception of life which was based on the assumption that man was free to do whatever he liked, and there was none to call him to account or take him to task: that there was no life in the Hereafter where one’s good deeds would be rewarded and evil deeds punished. In other words, this meant that the whole universe had been created without any serious purpose and therefore there was no need to pay any heed to the message of the Prophet.

16. That is, this world has been created with a definite purpose and not as a plaything. For, if We had wanted to enjoy a sport, We would have done so without creating a sentient, rational and responsible creature like you. Far be it from Us to put man to trial and conflict for the sake of mere fun.

17. That is, the object for which this world has been created is to stage a conflict between the truth and falsehood. And you yourselves know that in this conflict falsehood has always been defeated and destroyed. You should, therefore, consider this reality seriously. For, if you build the system of your life on the false presumption that it is mere fun, you will meet with the same consequences as the former people did, who presumed that the world was a mere show and pastime. Therefore you should reconsider your whole attitude towards the message which has come to you. Instead of making fun of it and scoffing at the Messenger, you should take a warning from the fate of the former peoples.

18. From here begins the discourse on the confirmation of Tauhid and the refutation of shirk for these were the actual bases of the conflict between the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the disbelievers of Makkah. The line of argument is this: The whole system of the universe is a clear proof that there is One Allah Who is its Creator, Sovereign, Ruler, and Lord and it is a falsehood that there are many gods who are partners in His Kingdom and Sovereignty, or that there is a Supreme God Who has under Him some minor gods to conduct the affairs of His Kingdom. This proof is also based on the preceding verses in which it has been stated that the universe has not been created as a pastime or a plaything, but for a serious purpose and that there has always been a conflict between the truth and falsehood, and falsehood has always been defeated and destroyed.

19. That is, the angels whom the mushriks of Arabia believed to be the children of God and worshiped them as partners in Godhead.

20. That is, they are engaged in His service day and night without grumbling or ever feeling wearied.

21. This question has been posed to bring home to the disbelievers that when they themselves believed that there is no being other than Allah who can give life to inanimate matter, why do they then acknowledge other deities besides Allah?

22. This concise sentence contains two arguments:

(1) The obviously simple argument is that no institution, no household, not to speak of the vast universe containing multitudes of countless distant stars, can function smoothly and properly, if it has two masters.

(2) The deeper argument is that the system of the whole universe, including that of the earth, is functioning according to a universal law. It could not work so even for a moment, if there had been no proper proportion, balance, harmony and coordination between the different powers and countless things. This is a clear proof that there is a universal and all powerful law and system which binds and forces these powers and things to cooperate and coordinate between themselves with a perfect proportion and harmony and this could not have happened if there had been different independent rulers. The existence of such a system is itself a clear proof that there must be One All Powerful Manager and Administrator governing and ruling the entire universe. For further details, please see (E.N. 47 of Surah Bani-Israil).

23. That is, The Sovereign of the whole universe.