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Towards Understanding the Quran
With kind permission: Islamic Foundation UK
Introduction to Tafheem | Glossary | Verbs
Tafsirs: Maarif | Dawat | Ishraq | Clear

 Surah Luqman 31:20-24 [3/4] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
أَلَمْDo not
تَرَوْاْyou see
أَنَّthat
ٱللَّهَAllah
سَخَّرَhas subjected
لَكُمto you
مَّاwhatever
فِى(is) in
ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِthe heavens
وَمَاand whatever
فِى(is) in
ٱلْأَرْضِthe earth
وَأَسْبَغَand amply bestowed
عَلَيْكُمْupon you
نِعَمَهُۥHis Bounties
ظَـٰهِرَةًapparent
وَبَاطِنَةً‌ۗand hidden?
وَمِنَBut of
ٱلنَّاسِthe people
مَن(is he) who
يُجَـٰدِلُdisputes
فِىabout
ٱللَّهِAllah
بِغَيْرِwithout
عِلْمٍknowledge,
وَلَاand not
هُدًىguidance
وَلَاand not
كِتَـٰبٍa book
مُّنِيرٍenlightening.
﴿٢٠﴾
وَإِذَاAnd when
قِيلَit is said
لَهُمُto them,
ٱتَّبِعُواْ`Follow
مَآwhat
أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُAllah (has) revealed,`
قَالُواْthey say,
بَلْ`Nay,
نَتَّبِعُwe will follow
مَاwhat
وَجَدْنَاwe found
عَلَيْهِon it
ءَابَآءَنَآ‌ۚour forefathers.`
أَوَلَوْEven if
كَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُShaitaan was
يَدْعُوهُمْ(to) call them
إِلَىٰto
عَذَابِ(the) punishment
ٱلسَّعِيرِ(of) the Blaze!
﴿٢١﴾
۞ وَمَنAnd whoever
يُسْلِمْsubmits
وَجْهَهُۥٓhis face
إِلَىto
ٱللَّهِAllah
وَهُوَwhile he
مُحْسِنٌ(is) a good- doer,
فَقَدِthen indeed,
ٱسْتَمْسَكَhe has grasped
بِٱلْعُرْوَةِthe handhold
ٱلْوُثْقَىٰ‌ۗthe most trustworthy.
وَإِلَىAnd to
ٱللَّهِAllah
عَـٰقِبَةُ(is the) end
ٱلْأُمُورِ(of) the matters.
﴿٢٢﴾
وَمَنAnd whoever
كَفَرَdisbelieves,
فَلَاlet not
يَحْزُنكَgrieve you
كُفْرُهُۥٓ‌ۚhis disbelief.
إِلَيْنَاTo Us
مَرْجِعُهُمْ(is) their return,
فَنُنَبِّئُهُمthen We will inform them
بِمَاof what
عَمِلُوٓاْ‌ۚthey did.
إِنَّIndeed,
ٱللَّهَAllah
عَلِيمُۢ(is) the All-Knower
بِذَاتِof what
ٱلصُّدُورِ(is in) the breasts.
﴿٢٣﴾
نُمَتِّعُهُمْWe grant them enjoyment
قَلِيلاً(for) a little,
ثُمَّthen
نَضْطَرُّهُمْWe will force them
إِلَىٰto
عَذَابٍa punishment
غَلِيظٍsevere.
﴿٢٤﴾

اَلَمۡ تَرَوۡا اَنَّ اللّٰهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمۡ مَّا فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ وَاَسۡبَغَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعَمَهٗ ظَاهِرَةً وَّبَاطِنَةً ​ؕ وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ يُّجَادِلُ فِى اللّٰهِ بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍ وَّلَا هُدًى وَّلَا كِتٰبٍ مُّنِيۡرٍ‏   وَ اِذَا قِيۡلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوۡا مَآ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰهُ قَالُوۡا بَلۡ نَـتَّـبِـعُ مَا وَجَدۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ اٰبَآءَنَا ؕ اَوَلَوۡ كَانَ الشَّيۡطٰنُ يَدۡعُوۡهُمۡ اِلٰى عَذَابِ السَّعِيۡرِ‏  وَمَنۡ يُّسۡلِمۡ وَجۡهَهٗۤ اِلَى اللّٰهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٌ فَقَدِ اسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِالۡعُرۡوَةِ الۡوُثۡقٰى​ؕ وَاِلَى اللّٰهِ عَاقِبَةُ الۡاُمُوۡرِ‏  وَمَنۡ كَفَرَ فَلَا يَحۡزُنۡكَ كُفۡرُهٗ ؕ اِلَيۡنَا مَرۡجِعُهُمۡ فَنُنَبِّئُهُمۡ بِمَا عَمِلُوۡا ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلِيۡمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوۡرِ‏  نُمَتّـِعُهُمۡ قَلِيۡلًا ثُمَّ نَضۡطَرُّهُمۡ اِلٰى عَذَابٍ غَلِيۡظٍ‏ 
Translation
(31:20) Have you not seen that Allah has subjected to your service all that is in the heavens35 and on the earth and has abundantly bestowed upon you all His bounties, both visible and invisible?36 Yet some persons dispute regarding Allah37 without having any knowledge or guidance or any illuminating Book.38 (31:21) When they are told: “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they say: “We will rather follow that which we have found our forefathers following.” (Will they follow that) even though Satan might invite them to the chastisement of the Blazing Fire?39 (31:22) Whoever surrenders himself to Allah40 and lives righteously41 grasps the most firm handle.42 The ultimate decision of all matters rests with Allah. (31:23) So let the unbelief of the unbeliever not grieve you.43 To Us is their return and then We shall inform them of all that they did. Surely Allah knows well even the secrets that are hidden in the breasts (of people). (31:24) We allow them to enjoy themselves a while in the world and then We shall drive them in utter helplessness to a harsh chastisement.
Commentary

36. “Apparent favors” imply those favors which are perceived by man in one way or the other, or are known to him. And the “hidden favors” are those which are neither perceived by him nor are known to him. There are countless things in man’s own body and in the world outside him, which are working in his interest, but man is utterly unaware of the means which his Creator has provided for his protection and safety, for his development and provision of sustenance to him, and for his well-being and happiness. Research of man in the different branches of science is revealing many such favors of God as were hidden from him before. And the favors and blessings which have so far been revealed are insignificant as against those which are still hidden from man.

37. “Who disputes about Allah”: Who wrangle and dispute about questions such as these: Does Allah exist or not? Is He One God alone, or are there other gods also? What are His attributes and what is their nature? What is the nature of His relationship with His creations etc.?

38. That is, they neither have any means of knowledge by which they might themselves have observed or experienced the reality directly, nor do they have the guidance of a guide available to them, who might have guided them after observing the reality, nor do they possess a divine Book, which might be the basis of their belief.

39. That is, it is not at all necessary that the forefathers of every person and every family and nation should have been on the right path. The mere argument that a particular way of life had been bequeathed by the elders cannot be a proof of its being right also. No sane person can commit the folly that he should blindly go on following the way of his forefathers even if they were not rightly guided, and should never bother to find out where the way is leading him.

40. “Whoever surrenders his face to Allah”: Who submits himself wholly to the service of Allah, entrusts all his affairs to Him and makes His guidance the law of his entire life.

41. That is, practically also he should adopt the attitude of an obedient servant of Allah.

42. That is, he will neither have the apprehension that he will be misguided, nor the fear that he will meet an evil end after having served Allah.

43. This means to say, “O Prophet, the one who refuses to listen to you, thinks that by rejecting Islam and insisting on unbelief he has harmed you, but in fact he has not harmed you but harmed only himself. If he does not listen to you, you need not bother yourself about him at all.”

44. That is, “Thank God that you at least know this and believe in this. But if this be the reality, all praise should then belong to Allah alone. How can any other being deserve praise when it has no share whatever in the creation of the universe?”