21:1. The Day of Reckoning for humankind has drawn near, and yet

21:2. No fresh revelation comes to them from their Lord, but they listen to it in ridicule,

21:3. with hearts distracted. The wrongdoers whisper to one another in secret: Is this man not a human being like yourselves? Will you, then, follow his magic with your eyes wide open?

21:4. He said: My Lord knows every word spoken in the heavens and on earth, for He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

This is an expression of amazement at people’s attitude, and at the fact that no reminder moves them, and they do not pay any attention to any warner, for their reckoning has drawn near and the requital for their deeds, both good and bad, is at hand, but they are turning away in heedlessness, paying no attention to the purpose for which they were created and ignoring that of which they have been warned, as if they were created for this world and were bom merely to enjoy physical pleasures therein. Allah keeps renewing the reminder and exhortation to them, but they persist in their negligence and turning away. Hence He says:

﴾(No fresh revelation comes to them from their Lord﴿, reminding them of that which will benefit them and urging them to do it, and reminding them of that which will harm them and warning them against it

﴾but they listen to itj﴿ in a manner of listening that establishes proof against them ﴾in ridicule, with hearts distracted﴿ that is, their hearts are heedless and turn away, distracted by worldly concerns and idle pursuits. They are distracted by physical pleasure, striving for false purposes and ridiculing the message, even though what they should do is something other than that; their hearts should be focused on the commands and prohibitions of Allah, and they should listen to the message in such a way that they understand the intended meaning, and they should strive physically to worship their Lord, which is the purpose for which they were created, and they should be mindful of the Resurrection, reckoning and recompense. By doing that, they would attain what they aspire for, their affairs would be put in order and their deeds would become righteous.

There are two scholarly views concerning the meaning of the words: ﴾The Day of Reckoning for humankind has drawn near﴿ (21: 1).

The first view is that the Ummah is the last of nations and its Messenger (ﷺ) is the final Messenger, and the Hour will come upon his Ummah. So the reckoning has drawn near to them in contrast to the nations that came before them, because the Prophet said:

«I and the Hour have been sent like these two.» (Muslim)

-- and he held up two of his fingers together, the forefinger and the one that is next to it.

The second view is that what is meant by the approach of the reckoning is death, because when a person dies, his reckoning has begun and he has entered the realm of requital for deeds. This is an expression of amazement at all those who are negligent and turn away, not knowing when death will strike, morning or evening. This is how all people are, except those on whom Allah has bestowed His grace, so they prepare for death and what comes after it.

Then Allah tells us what the disbelievers and wrongdoers spoke of when they whispered to one another by way of stubbornness, opposing the truth with falsehood. They conversed with one another and reached an agreement among themselves that they would say concerning the Messenger (ﷺ): He is a human being like you, so what makes him better than you and what makes him special? If any of you were to make a claim like his, his word would be equal to his, but he wants to make himself superior to you and establish himself as a leader among you, so do not obey him and do not believe him; he is a magician and what he has brought of the Qur’an is magic, so keep away from him and deter other people from speaking to him, and say: ﴾Will you, then, follow his magic with your eyes wide open?﴿ (21:3). They plotted this even though they knew that he was indeed the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), based on what they had seen of clear signs, the like of which no one else had ever seen. But what made them do that was the fact that they were doomed, wrongdoers and stubborn. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) encompassed with His knowledge all that they said in private, and He would requite them for it. Hence He said:

﴾He said: My Lord knows every word spoken﴿ in private and in public

﴾in the heavens and on earthy that is, in all regions thereof ﴾for He is All-Hearing﴿ and hears all voices, in all different languages, calling out for all kinds of different needs

﴾All-Knowing﴿ and He knows what is in people’s hearts and what is yet more hidden.

21:5. They said: Nay, [these are] jumbled, confusing dreams; nay, he has fabricated it; nay, he is but a poet. So let him bring us a sign, such as the earlier Messengers were sent with.

21:6. Not one of the cities whom We destroyed believed [even though We showed them signs]; will these people then believe?

Here Allah Oft) refers to the lies fabricated by those who disbelieved in Muhammad (ﷺ) and what he brought of the Holy Qur’an, telling us that they called him a fool and made other false accusations against him. Sometimes they said ﴾[these are] jumbled, confusing dreams﴿, like the words of one who murmurs in his sleep and does not realise what he is saying. Sometimes they said ﴾fhe has fabricated it﴿ and made it up by himself. And sometimes they said that he was a poet and what he brought was poetry.

Anyone who has the slightest knowledge of the reality of the Messenger (ﷺ), and examines this Book that he brought, will be certain, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that it is the best and mostsublime of speech and that it is from Allah, for no human could ever produce anything like even part of it, as Allah challenged His enemies to do and thereby prove that it was not from Him. Even though they had a motive to prove that it was not from Him, and they harboured enmity towards it, they were not able to produce something like it to prove that it was not from Him, and they were well aware of that. Otherwise, what made them strive so hard? What gave them sleepless nights and rendered them speechless, except the truth that nothing can resist? Rather they said these words about the Prophet (ﷺ) - as they did not believe in him - so as to turn people away from him who did not know him. The Qur’an is the greatest of eternal signs that points to the soundness of the message brought by the Messenger (ﷺ) and his truthfulness, and it is sufficient.

Whoever looks for proof other than it, or demands some other sign, is ignorant and is being unfair; he is more like those stubborn people who rejected the Qur’an and demanded other signs of their own, choosing which would be the most harmful thing for them and would bring them no benefits at all, because if their aim was to know the truth on the basis of proof, the proof was already established without what they were demanding of signs. But if their aim was to outwit the Prophet and find excuses for themselves (for not believing) - if their demand for a particular sign was not met - then in that case, even if they were given what they demanded of signs, they definitely would not believe; even if every sign were to come to them, they would not believe until they saw (for themselves) the painful punishment (cf. 10: 97).

Hence Allah tells us that they said: ﴾So let him bring us a sign, such as the earlier Messengers were sent with﴿ that is, like the she-camel of Salih and the staff of Moosa, and so on.

﴾Not one of the cities whom We destroyed believed﴿ in these signs that they demanded. Allah’s way of dealing with people is that if anyone demands a sign and it is granted to him, but he does notbelieve, then the punishment will be hastened for him. The earlier generations did not believe in those signs, so will these people believe in them? What makes them better than those earlier generations? What good virtue do they possess that would make them believe when these signs appear?

This appears in the form of a question - ﴾will these people then believe?﴿ - but what is meant is denial or negation; in other words, they will never believe.

(t-v

21:7. We did not send before you [O Muhammad] any but men to whom We gave revelation. So [O people] ask those who have knowledge,^{1This may refer to: Jewish and Christian scholars who have knowledge of the previous scriptures; Muslim scholars who have knowledge of the Qur’an; or those who have knowledge of the history of earlier nations.} if you do not know.

21:8. We did not give them bodies that needed no food, nor were they immortal.

21:9. Then We fulfilled Our promise to them, and We saved them and those whom We willed, and We destroyed those who transgressed all bounds.

This is a response to the specious argument of those who disbelieved in the Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Why is he not anangel who does not need food or drink, and does not engage in business in the marketplace? Why is he not immortal? As he was not like that, they thought that this indicated that he was not a Messenger (ﷺ).

This specious argument is still used by those who disbelieve in the Messengers. They are all alike in their disbelief, and they are all alike in their thinking. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) responded to this argument from those who disbelieved in the Messenger (Muhammad [^H]), although they accepted Messengers who came before him - even if they believed only in Ibraheem (عليه السلام) whose prophethood was accepted by all groups, including the polytheists who claimed to be following his path and religion - by noting that the Messengers who came before Muhammad were all human beings who ate food, walked about in the marketplaces and were subject to everything that human beings go through, such as death and the like; Allah sent them to their peoples and nations, and some believed in them whereas others disbelieved, and Allah fulfilled His promise to them of saving and blessing them and their followers, and destroying the transgressors who rejected them.

So why, in the case of Muhammad (ﷺ), do they reject his message on the basis of false arguments, when the same argument could be made with regard to his fellow Messengers in whom those who reject Muhammad believe? This argument is very clear and binding. If they accept a human Messenger, but they will not accept a non-human Messenger, then their argument is flawed, and they themselves have shown it to be flawed when they admitted that it was so, and when they contradicted themselves in their argument. If, based on this argument, they then denied the prophethood of any human being at all, and said that no one could be a Prophet unless he was immortal and did not eat food, then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has answered this specious argument in the verses in which He says:﴾They say: Why has an angel not been sent down to him? If We did send down an angel, that would be the end of the matter and they would be given no respite. And if We had appointed [as Messenger] an angel, We would have made him appear as a man, and thus We would only have confused them in the same way as they are now confusing themselves.﴿ (al-An am 6: 8-9)

Moreover, ordinary human beings are not able to receive revelation directly from the angels:

﴾Say: If there had been angels on earth, walking about and settled therein. We would surely have sent down to them from heaven an angel as a messenger.﴿ (al-lsra 17: 95)

If you still have any doubts and do not know about the condition of the earlier Messengers, then ﴾ask those who have knowledge﴿ of the earlier scriptures, such as the people of the Torah and the Gospel, and they will tell you what they know, that the Messengers were all human, like those to whom they were sent.

Although the particular reason for revelation of this verse had to do with asking the People of the Book about the earlier Messengers, as they were people of knowledge, it is general in meaning and applies to other matters of religion, both basic and minor. If a person does not have any knowledge of such an issue, he may ask one who does know it. So it is a command to learn and ask people of knowledge. We are only instructed to ask them because they are obliged to teach and answer questions about what they know.

Because we are specifically instructed to ask those who have knowledge, this implies that it is not allowed to ask questions of one who is known to be ignorant and to have no knowledge, and it is prohibited for one who has no knowledge to give answers. This verse also indicates that there are no Prophets among women, neither Maryam nor anyone else, because Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾any but men to whom We gave revelation﴿.

21:10. We have sent down to you [O people] a Book in which there is honour for you [if you follow its teachings]; will you not then understand?

We have sent down to you - O people to whom Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib (ﷺ) was sent - a noble Book and a clear Qur’an, f(in which there is honour for you﴿ that is, renown, pride and a lofty status, if you pay heed to what it contains of true stories, then believe in it, comply with what it enjoins and avoid what it forbids. Then you will rise in status and become significant.

﴾will you not then understand﴿ what will benefit you and what will harm you? How can you not accept it and not strive to adhere to that in which is your renown and honour in this world and in the hereafter? If you had any understanding, you would have followed this path.

But because you did not follow it, and you followed other paths instead that would lead to humiliation and to low status and misery in this world and the hereafter, it is known that you have no sound reasoning or understanding.

This verse is confirmed by what happened in reality: those who believed in the Messenger (ﷺ) and followed the teachings of the Qur’an, namely the Sahabah and those who came after them, attained honour, high status and great renown, and were elevated to a higher position than kings, as is well known to everyone. It is also known what happened to those who did not adhere to this Qur’an and were not guided by it and did not purify themselves on the basis thereof: they were brought low, despised, tainted and wretched. There is no way to attain happiness in this world or the hereafter except by adhering to the teachings of this Book.

21:11. How many cities that were given to wrongdoing have We utterly destroyed, and raised up other people in their stead.

21:12. When they sensed Our punishment [approaching], they began to flee from it.

21:13. Do not flee. Go back to your comforts and your dwellings, so that you may be sought out [to give help and advice to others],

21:14. They said: Woe to us! We were indeed wrongdoers.

21:15. And that cry of theirs did not cease until We mowed them down and left them lifeless.

Here Allah warns these wrongdoers who disbelieved in the Messenger (ﷺ) of what happened to previous nations who disbelieved in other Messengers:

﴾How many cities that were given to wrongdoing have We utterly destroyed﴿ that is, eradicated completely

﴾fand raised up other people in their stead﴿. When these people who were destroyed realised that the punishment of Allah was imminent and had started to befall them, and that it was not possible for them to go back and there was no way they could flee, they began to stamp their feet in an expression of regret and anguish, lamenting what they had done and trying to escape the punishment.

Therefore it was said to them, by way of mockery (as part of the punishment): ﴾Do not flee. Go back to your comforts and your dwellings, so that you may be sought out [to give help and adviceto others]﴿ that is, stamping your feet and expressing regret will not benefit you, but if you think you can, then go back to your pleasures and desirable things, to your fine dwellings and your world that deceived you and distracted you until the punishment of Allah came to you, so that you may establish yourselves again there and indulge in pleasures, and feel content and respected in your dwellings; perhaps you will be as you were before, and people will come to you seeking help with regard to worldly affairs, as happened before. But there is no way that can happen. How could they go back to that, when that time is now over and the punishment and divine wrath have started to befall them, their worldly honour and glory have vanished and all that is left is regret and lamentation?

Hence ﴾They said: Woe to us! We were indeed wrongdoers. And that cry of theirs did not cease﴿ that is, that cry of woe, doom and regret, admitting their wrongdoing and acknowledging that Allah was just in what He sent upon them, did not cease ﴾until We mowed them down and left them lifeless﴿ that is, like crops that are mown down and brought low. Thus they were felled, all their movements ceased and their voices were silenced. So beware - O you who are addressed here - of persisting in rejection of the noblest of the Messengers (ﷺ), lest there befall you what befell them.

21:16. We have not created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, in vain.

21:1. IfWe had wanted to take a pastime, We could have done so, if We were to do such a thing.

Here Allah (te) tells us that He did not create the heavens and the earth without purpose or for no reason; rather He created them in truth and for the truth, so that people may find proof in them that He is the Almighty Creator, wise controller, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful to Whom belong all attributes of perfection, to Whom be all praise and glory. Whose word is true and Whose Messengers are truthful in what they tell. The One Who is able to create the heavens and the earth, despite their immense vastness, is also able to recreate bodies after their death, so that He may requite the doer of good for his good deeds and the doer of evil for his evil deeds.

﴾lf We had wanted to take a pastime﴿ - this is said only for argument’s sake, because it is impossible

﴾We could have done so, if We were to do such a thing﴿ and We would not have disclosed to you what it would contain of vanity and frivolity, because that is a shortcoming and a negative reflection on Us, and We would not want to show it to you.

The real purpose behind the heavens and the earth, which are always visible to you, cannot be vain or frivolous. All of this is said by way of argument and addressed to small-minded people and is aimed at convincing them by all possible means. Glory be to the Most Forbearing, Most Merciful, Who is Most Wise and deals with all matters appropriately.

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21:18. Nay, rather We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes it, whereupon it perishes. Woe to you for what you ascribe [falsely, to Allah].

21:19. To Him belong all those who are in the heavens and on earth, and those who are with Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they ever grow weary.

21:20. They glorify Him night and day, without flagging.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us that He guarantees to show the truth to be true and to show falsehood to be false; any falsehood that is presented or defended by anyone, Allah will send down truth, knowledge and explanations that will destroy it, so that it will diminish and it will become apparent to everyone that it is false.

﴾whereupon it perishes﴿ that is, it diminishes and disappears. This is general in meaning and applies to all religious matters. No supporter of falsehood presents a specious argument, basing it on reason or on a text, supporting falsehood or rejecting truth, but there is definitive evidence from Allah that is based on reason or on texts, that will defeat the false argument and suppress it. Thus the falseness thereof will become clear to everyone. That becomes clear by examining these issues one by one, and you will always find that this is the case.

﴾Woe to you﴿ who ascribed to Allah that which is not befitting to Him, such as saying that He has a child, a wife, rivals or partners. All that you will gain from that is ﴾woe﴿, regret and loss; there is no benefit for you in what you say and you will not get the return for which you hope and strive. All you will get is the opposite of what you are seeking, namely loss and deprivation.

Then Allah tells us that He is the Sovereign of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, therefore all creatures are His slaves and subject to Him, and not one of them has any control or share of dominion, not one of them helps Him in His control, and no one can intercede except by Allah’s leave, so how can any of them be taken as gods? How could Allah have begotten any of them as a son?

Glorified and exalted be the Almighty Sovereign to Whom all submit, for Whom nothing is difficult, to Whom the angels who are near Him submit and they all constantly worship Him.

Hence Allah says: ﴾fand those who are with Him﴿ namely the angels,

﴾are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they ever grow weary﴿ that is, they never tire of worship, because they are so eager, their love is complete and they are physically strong.

﴾They glorify Him night and day, without flagging﴿ that is, they are immersed in worship and glorification at all times, without ceasing. Despite their great number, all of them are like that, and this is indicative of Allah’s greatness, complete sovereignty, and perfect knowledge and wisdom, which dictate that none should be worshipped except He, and no act of worship should be directed to anyone except Him.

21:21. Or have they taken gods from the earth who can raise [the dead]?

21:22. If there had been therein [in the heavens and the earth] any gods besides Allah, both realms would surely have fallen into disorder. Glory be to Allah, Lord of the Throne, and [exalted be He] far above what they ascribe [to Him],

21:23. He cannot be questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.

21:24. Or have they taken other gods besides Him? Say: Bring your proof. This is the Book of those who are with me, and the Bookof those who came before me. But most of them do not know the truth, so they turn away.

21:25. And We did not send before you [O Muhammad] any Messenger but We revealed to him: There is no god but I, so worship Me [alone].

Having mentioned the perfect nature of His power and greatness, and the submission of all things to Him, here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) denounces the polytheists who have, besides Allah, taken others from the earth as gods who are utterly helpless and incapable.

﴾(Or have they taken gods from the earth who can raise [the dead]?﴿ This appears in the form of a question, but what is meant is negation; in other words, those [false gods] are not able to raise the dead or resurrect them. This is explained elsewhere, where Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾They have taken other gods besides Him that can create nothing but are themselves created; they have no power either to harm or benefit themselves, and they have no power to cause death, give life or resurrect, [) (al-Furqdn 25: 3)

- and:

﴾Yet they have taken other gods besides Allah, in the hope that they may be helped. They cannot help them; rather their worshippers stand like warriors ready to defend them.﴿ (Yd Seen 36: 74-75)

So the polytheist worships something created that cannot benefit or harm, and he does not devote his worship solely to Allah, to Whom all perfect attributes belong and in Whose Hand is control and the power to benefit or harm. That is because the polytheist is not guided and is unfortunate, and because of his ignorance and wrongdoing. The universe cannot maintain well-being unless it is cared for by One God, as it was created and brought into being by only one Lord. Hence Allah says:

﴾If there had been therein﴿ that is in the heavens and the earth,﴾any gods besides Allah, both realms would surely have fallen into disorder﴿ in and of themselves, and all creatures in them would also have fallen into disorder.

What this means is that the upper and lower realms are visibly in the most perfect shape, sound and in order, with no flaws or defects, no resistance to the divine will and no opposition to the divine decree. This indicates that their Controller is one, their Lord is one and their God is one. If there were two or more controllers or lords, then their system would falter and their pillars would collapse, because they (those two controllers or lords) would oppose one another and strive against one another. If one of them wanted one thing, the other would want the opposite. Therefore it is impossible for two wills to coexist, and if the will of one was done but not the other, this would indicate that the other was helpless and incapable, but it would be impossible for both to agree on one thing in all matters.

Therefore it must be the case that the Controller Whose will alone is done, without any resistance or opposition, is Allah, the One, the Subduer. Hence Allah refers to this argument when He says:

﴾Allah has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. [In that case,] each god would have taken full control of what he had created, and each would have rushed to gain supremacy over the others. Glory be to Allah and [exalted be He] far above what they ascribe [to Him].﴿ (al-Mu’minoon 23: 91)

- and:

﴾Say [O Muhammad]: If there were [other] gods with Him, as they say, they would surely have sought a way to the Lord of the Throne.^{1What is meant is that they would have sought a way to challenge Him (al-Qurtubi, from Ibn ‘Abbas).} Glory be to Him, and exalted be He far above what they

Hence Allah says here: ﴾Glory be to Allah﴿ that is, exalted be He above all shortcomings, for He alone is perfect ﴾Lord of the Throne﴿ which is above all creation, and is the vastest and greatest of all created things. If He is Lord of the Throne, it is even more appropriate for Him to be Lord of whatever is beneath it. ﴾fand [exalted be He] far above what they ascribe [to Him]﴿ that is, what the disbelievers ascribe to Him, of having begotten offspring or taken a wife, or having a partner in any way whatsoever.

﴾He cannot be questioned about what He does﴿ because of His greatness, glory and perfect might. No one can resist Him or oppose Him in word or deed, because of His perfect wisdom, for He is precise and wise in all that He does. He has created everything perfectly that may be comprehended by reason, so there can be no question concerning it, because all that He creates is free of faults.

﴾but they﴿ that is, all created beings ﴾will be questioned﴿ about the deeds and words, because of their helplessness and weakness, and because they are His slaves; their actions and movements are controlled and they have not the slightest control over themselves or anyone else.

Then Allah again criticises and rebukes the polytheists for taking gods besides Him: ﴾Or have they taken other gods besides Him? Say: Bring your proof﴿ that is your evidence for the soundness of your view. But they will never be able to do that; rather definitive evidence has been established of its falseness. Hence Allah says:

﴾This is the Book of those who are with me, and the Book of those who came before me﴿ that is, all the previous scriptures and religious teachings are agreed on the soundness of what I have said to you regarding the wrongness of ascribing partners to Allah. This is the Book of Allah in which there is mention of all things on the basis of rational and textual evidence, and all of these previous scriptures are proof and evidence for what I said. As it is the case that proof and evidence have been established against them of the falsenessof what they believe, it is known that they have no proof, because definitive proof is that which, when there is certainty, no argument can withstand, otherwise it cannot be definitive. If there is proof and there are arguments that may be raised against it, then they are specious arguments that do not change anything.

﴾But most of them do not know the truth﴿ that is, they persist in their way, imitating their forefathers and arguing without any knowledge or guidance. The fact that they do not have any knowledge of the truth is not because it is hidden or unclear; rather it is because they turn away from it. Otherwise, if they paid the slightest attention to it, they would know truth from falsehood in a very clear way. Hence Allah says: ﴾so they turn away﴿.

When Allah referred to the scriptures of those who came before, and instructed people to refer to them in the context of discussing this issue. He explained it fully by saying: ﴾And We did not send before you [O Muhammad] any Messenger but We revealed to him: There is no god but I, so worship Me [alone]﴿. With regard to all the Messengers who came before you, and their Books, the basic essence of their message is the command to worship Allah alone, with no partner or associate, and the declaration that He alone is the true God Who is deserving of worship, and worship of anything other than Him is false.

21:26. They say: The Most Gracious has begotten offspring. Glory be to Him! They [the ones they describe as His offspring] are but honoured slaves.

21:27. They do not speak until He has spoken, and they only do as He commands.

21:28. He knows what was before them and what will be after them, and they cannot intercede except for those with whom He is pleased, and they are filled with reverent awe of Him.

21:29. If any of them were to say: I am a god besides Him, We would requite him with hell. Thus do We requite the wrongdoers.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us of the foolishness of the polytheists who disbelieved in the Messenger (ﷺ) and claimed that Allah had begotten offspring by saying that the angels were the daughters of Allah. Exalted be Allah far above what they say.

Then He goes on to describe the angels as slaves who are subject to His Lordship and under His control. They have no control over anything at all; rather they are honoured by Allah, Who made them His slaves and bestowed His mercy upon them, and He singled them out for virtues and purified them of all bad attributes. They observe the utmost etiquette with Allah and comply with His commands.

qThey do not speak until He has spoken﴿ that is, they do not say anything that has to do with the affairs of His dominion until Allah speaks, because of their perfect etiquette and their awareness of the perfect nature of His wisdom and knowledge.

﴾and they only do as He commands﴿ that is, no matter what He commands them to do, they comply with His command; no matter what task He gives them, they do it. They do not disobey Him for even an instant, and they do not do anything on the basis of what they themselves desire; rather they do only what Allah commands. Moreover, Allah has encompassed them with His knowledge.

For He knows ﴾what was before them and what will be after them﴿ that is, their past and future affairs, so they cannot escape His knowledge, just as they cannot escape His command and control.

Because they do not speak until He has spoken, they do not intercede for anyone without His permission and consent. If He gives them permission and is pleased with the one for whom they seek to intercede, then they will intercede for him. However, Allah does not accept any words or deeds except those that were done sincerely for His sake, in accordance with the teachings of His Messenger This verse is one of the proofs for the concept of intercession, and proves that the angels will intercede.

﴾and they are filled with reverent awe of Him﴿ that is, they fear Him and are in awe of Him. They have submitted to His Majesty and their faces are humbled before His glory and beauty.

Having explained that they have no right to divinity and do not deserve any worship at all, as the description that He gives of them implies that, Allah also states that they have no share in divinity even if they make such a claim, and that if, for argument’s sake, any of them were to say, ﴾I am a god besides Him, We would requite him with hell. Thus do We requite the wrongdoers﴿. What wrongdoing could be greater than that of an imperfect creature, who is in need of Allah in all ways, claiming to share with Allah the attributes of divinity and Lordship?

21:30. Do the disbelievers not realise that the heavens and the earth were a single mass, then We split them apart? And We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?

That is, can these people who disbelieve in their Lord and do not show devotion in worship to Him alone not see that which clearly indicates that He is the Lord Who is Most Praiseworthy, Most Generous, and is deserving of worship? They look at the heavens and the earth, and see them as a solid mass; they see the sky without a single cloud to bring rain, and they see the earth lifeless and dead, with no vegetation in it. Then We split them apart, so that the sky produces rain and the earth produces vegetation. It is He Who creates clouds in the sky, after it had been completely clear, and instils in the clouds abundant water, then sends it down to a dead land, that was covered in dust and utterly parched, and He causes it to rain so that the earth stirs to life and swells, and brings forth beautiful plants of every kind, that are used for many different purposes. Does that not indicate that He is true and all others besides Him are false, and that it is He Who will give life to the dead, and that He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful? ﴾Will they not then believe?﴿ This refers to sound faith, with no element of doubt or ascription of partners to Allah.

Then Allah refers to evidence in the universe:

(rr-n

21:31. And We have set on the earth mountains standing firm, lest it shake with them, and We have made therein broad paths so that they may find their way.

21:32. And We have made the heaven a canopy, safe and well-guarded, yet they turn away from its signs.

21:33. It is He Who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, each moving swiftly in its orbit.

That is, among the evidence of His might. His perfection, His oneness and His mercy is the fact that, as the earth could not be stable without the mountains, He has made it stable thereby, and has made the mountains like pegs for it, so that it will not shake with the people. People would not be able to remain steady on it or cultivate it or settle on it otherwise.

So Allah has made the earth stable by means of the mountains, which resulted in an abundance of benefits. Because the mountains are connected to one another, and those chains of high peaks run on for a long distance, if they were to remain like that, travelling between countries would be very difficult. But by His wisdom and mercy, Allah has created broad paths between the mountains; this refers to easy routes and gentle terrain through which people can find their way to reach the lands they seek. And perhaps they will be guided to evidence of the oneness of the Bestower.

﴾ And We have made the heaven a canopyfor the earth on which you are;

﴾safe and well-guarded﴿ against falling.

﴾Verily, Allah sustains the heavens and the earth, lest they decline... ﴿

The heavens are also guarded against the eavesdropping of the devils.

﴾yet they turn away from its signs﴿ that is, they are heedless and distracted. This is general in meaning and refers to all the signs in the heaven: its great height, vastness, greatness, beautiful colour, amazing precision and other things that are visible in it, such as the stars and planets, sun and moon, from which result night and day, and the fact that they are always running in their own courses, and the stars dolikewise. Many benefits for people result from that, such as heat and cold, and the passage of the seasons; they know how to work out the times for their acts of worship and their dealings and transactions; they rest at night, settling down calmly, and they go about their business during the day, earning their livelihood. If the wise person reflects on all these things and thinks deeply about them, he will reach the certain conclusion, with no element of doubt, that Allah has made them for a certain length of time, during which people will gain great benefits from them, then after that they will diminish and cease to be; the One Who created them will extinguish them, and the One Who set them in motion will bring them to a halt.

Then those who are accountable will move to another realm, in which they will find the requital of their deeds in full, and it will be known that the purpose of this realm was to invest for the eternal realm, and that it was a place to pass through, not a place to settle.

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21:34. We did not grant everlasting life to any human being before you [O Muhammad], So if you die, will they [the disbelievers] live forever?

21:35. Every soul is bound to taste death; We test you with evil and good by way of trial, and to Us you will be returned.

Because the enemies of the Messenger (ﷺ) were saying: Let us wait for some misfortune to befall him (cf. 52:30), Allah fjg) said: This path (of misfortune) is well-trodden. ﴾We did not grant everlastinglife﴿ in this world ﴾to any human being before you﴿, O Muhammad (ﷺ), so if you die, it is the same as happened to others like you among the Messengers, Prophets, close friends of Allah, and others.

f(So if you die, will they [the disbelievers] live forever?﴿ That is, will they be given eternal life after you are gone? Then let them enjoy that eternal life, if there is such a thing, but that is not the case; rather all who are on earth will perish, hence Allah says here: ﴾Every soul is bound to taste death﴿. This includes all creatures; this is a cup from which all must inevitably drink, even those who live for a long time.

But Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has created His slaves in this world, and has issued commands and prohibitions. He tests them with good and bad, wealth and poverty, power and humiliation, life and death; this is a trial from Him and a test to see who among them will be best in deeds, who will fail when tested, and who will be saved.

﴾and to Us you will be returned﴿ and We will requite you for your deeds; if they were good then you will be rewarded, and if they were evil then you will be punished.

c-(...And your Lord is never unjust to His slaves.﴿ (Fusfilat 41: 46) This verse highlights the falseness of the view of those who say that al-Khidr is still alive and that he is immortal in this world. This is a view for which there is no proof and it is contrary to the shar‘i evidence.

21:36. When the disbelievers see you, they treat you only with ridicule, [saying]: Is this the one who speaks ill of your gods? and they reject all mention of the Most Gracious.

21:37. Man is a creature of haste. I will show you My signs, so do not ask Me to hasten.

21:38. They say: When will this promise come to pass, if you speak the truth?

21:39. If only the disbelievers knew of the time when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces or their backs, nor will they be helped, [they would not seek to hasten it],

21:40. Rather it will come upon them suddenly and confound them, and they will not be able to avert it, nor will they be given any respite.

21:41. Indeed Messengers before you were ridiculed, but then those who mocked them were overwhelmed by the very thing [punishment] they used to ridicule.

This is because of the severity of their disbelief. When the polytheists saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), they ridiculed him and said: ﴾Is this the one who speaks ill of your gods?﴿ That is, is this insignificant man - as they claimed - the one who reviles your gods, criticises them and attacks them? In other words: pay no attention to him and do not worry about him.

The fact that they ridiculed him and looked down on him is indicative of his perfection, for he was the more perfect and virtuous one; one of his virtues was his devotion to worshipping Allah alone and his criticism of everything that is worshipped besides Him,pointing out its real status and situation. Rather those who deserved to be despised and ridiculed were these disbelievers, who combined all blameworthy characteristics. Even if there was nothing except their disbelief in the Lord and their rejection of His Messengers, they would still be the most vile and worst of people.

The mention of His name ﴾Most Gracious﴿ here highlights how bad they were. How could they respond to the Most Gracious - Who bestows all blessings and protects against harm, and no one has any blessing but it comes from Him, and no harm is warded off except by Him - by disbelieving in Him and ascribing partners to Him?

﴾Man is a creature of haste﴿ that is, he was created hasty and prone to rushing into things, impatient for them to happen. The believers seek to hasten the punishment of Allah for the disbelievers, and think it slow in coming, whilst the disbelievers turn away and seek to hasten the punishment because they do not believe in it, and out of stubbornness, and they say:

﴾When will this promise come to pass, if you speak the truth?﴿ Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) gives respite but does not overlook; He shows forbearance and grants them a temporary reprieve, but:

ff.. .when their appointed time comes, they will not be able to delay it for a single moment or bring it forward.﴿ (Yoonus 10. 49)

Hence Allah says here (21:37): I will show you My signs﴿ that is, in My vengeance upon those who disbelieved in Me and disobeyed Me, ﴾so do not ask Me to hasten﴿ that. Similarly, those who disbelieve say: ﴾When will this promise come to pass, if you speak the truth?﴿. They said this out of arrogance, when the punishment had not yet become due and had not yet befallen them.

﴾lf only the disbelievers knew of﴿ the terrible situation they will be in at ﴾the time when they will not be able to ward off the fire from their faces or their backs﴿, when it surrounds them on all sides and overwhelms them from all directions﴾nor will they be helped﴿ that is, no one will help them; they will not help others and they will not be helped.

﴾Rather it﴿ that is, the fire ﴾will come upon them suddenly and confound them﴿ because of its suddenness and the alarm and great fear it will bring.

﴾and they will not be able to avert it﴿ because they will be too humiliated and weak to do that

﴾nor will they be given any respite﴿ that is, any reprieve, such that the punishment might be delayed for them. If they truly understood this, they would not seek to hasten the punishment, and they would be very afraid. But because they did not have this knowledge, they said what they said.

Having mentioned their ridicule of His Messenger (ﷺ) when they said: ﴾fls this the one who speaks ill of your gods?﴿ (21: 36), Allah consoles him by reminding him that this was the way in which previous nations dealt with their Messengers, as He says:

Indeed Messengers before you were ridiculed, but then those who mocked them were overwhelmed by the very thing [punishment] they used to ridicule﴿ that is, the punishment befell them and they could find no means of escape. So let these people beware, lest there befall them what befell those disbelievers.

21:42. Say: Who can protect you by night and by day other than the Most Gracious? Yet they turn away from the admonition of their Lord.

21:43. Or do they have gods who can protect them from Our [punishment]? They have no power to help themselves, nor do they enjoy Our support.

21:44. But We have allowed these people and their forefathers to enjoy the good things of life for a long time. Do they not see that We gradually reduce the land [under their control] from its outlying borders? Is it they who will prevail?

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) mentions the helplessness of these people who take others besides Him as gods, and notes that they are in desperate need of their Lord, the Most Gracious, Whose mercy encompasses both righteous and evildoers alike, by night and by day:

﴾Say: Who can protect you﴿ that is, guard you ﴾by night﴿ when you are sleeping in your beds and your faculties are not functioning ffand by day﴿ as you go about your business and are distracted pother than the Most Gracious?﴿ Can anyone protect you other than Him? No one can protect except Him.

﴾Yet they turn away from the admonition of their Lord﴿. Hence they ascribed partners to Him. Otherwise, if they had paid heed to the admonition of their Lord and accepted His instructions, they would have been guided and granted divine help.

﴾Or do they have gods who can protect them from Our [punishment]?﴿ that is, if We decree ill for them, can any of their gods protect them from that ill and the evil that befalls them?

﴾They have no power to help themselves, nor do they enjoy Our support﴿ that is, they will receive no help from Us with regard to their affairs, and if they receive no help from Allah, they will fail in all their affairs and will not be able to achieve any benefit or ward off any harm.

The reason why they persisted in their disbelief and ascription of partners to Allah is indicated in the following verse:

<-﴾But We have allowed these people and their forefathers to enjoy the good things of life fora long time﴿ that is. We have granted them wealth and sons, and We have given them a long life, so they focused on enjoying it and were distracted from that for which they were created. That went on for a long time, so their hearts grew hardened, and they persisted in their transgression and in their ingratitude. If they had paid attention and looked at the people around them, they would not have seen anything but people dying all around them, and they would not have heard anything but voices of lament, and they would not have been aware of anything but a constant succession of people dying, day after day. Death sets traps on every route to snatch people’s souls.

Hence Allah says: ﴾Do they not see that We gradually reduce the land [under their control] from its outlying borders?﴿ That is, by means of the death of its people and their gradual demise, until Allah inherits the earth and all who are on it, and He is the best of inheritors. If they realised this situation, they would not be deceived and would not persist as they are.

﴾Is it they who will prevail?﴿ That is, is it really possible that they will be able to escape Allah’s decree or that they can ward off death? How could they be so deceived and think that they will live forever? Or is it the case that when the Angel of Death comes to take their souls, they will submit and surrender, and will not show any resistance?

21:45. Say: 1 only warn you on the strength of divine revelation. But the deaf cannot hear the call when they are warned.

21:46. If the slightest touch of your Lord’s punishment were to reach them, they would surely say: Woe to us! We were indeed wrongdoers.

﴾Say﴿, O Muhammad to all the people: ﴾I only warn you on the strength of divine revelation﴿ that is, I am just a Messenger; I do not bring anything of my own accord, I do not possess the treasuries of Allah, I have no knowledge of the unseen and I am not an angel; rather I warn you on the basis of what Allah reveals to me. So if you respond, you have responded to Allah and He will reward you for that, but if you turn away and resist, then I have no control over the matter at all; rather the matter rests with Allah and the decree is all His.

﴾But the deaf cannot hear the call when they are warned﴿ that is, one who is deaf cannot hear any voice, for the faculty of hearing is absent in his case. Hearing is stipulated in addition to the voice, for the means of receiving the sound should be present. Likewise, the revelation causes the heart to spring to life (spiritual life), and makes one understand what Allah wants from us. But if the heart is not receptive to guidance, then with regard to guidance and faith, it will be like the deaf person with regard to sounds and voices. These polytheists are deaf to guidance, so it is no wonder that they are not guided, especially in this situation where the punishment has not yet reached them and they have not yet felt its pain.

﴾If the slightest touch﴿ that is, even a small part ﴾of your Lord’s punishment were to reach them﴿, and nothing of His punishment is easy,

﴾they would surely say: Woe to us! We were indeed wrongdoers﴿ that is, crying out words of woe, doom and regret, acknowledging their wrongdoing and disbelief, and admitting that they deserve the punishment.

21:47. We will set up scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so that no soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least. Even if a deed is the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth, and sufficient are We as Reckoners.

Here Allah tells us that He will judge justly and fairly between His slaves when He gathers them on the Day of Resurrection; He will set up the scales of justice which will show even the weight of a tiny particle, to weigh people’s good deeds and bad deeds.

﴾so that no soul﴿, Muslim or disbeliever, ﴾will be dealt with unjustly in the least﴿ by anything being detracted from its good deeds or added to its bad deeds.

﴾Even if a deed is the weight of a mustard seed﴿, which is the smallest and most insignificant of things, whether that deed is good or bad ﴾We will bring it forth﴿ so that the doer may be requited for it. This is like the verses in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.p (az-Zalzalah 99: 7-8)

And they will say:

. .Woe to us! What sort of record is this, that leaves no deed, small or great, unaccounted for? They will find all they did recorded there, and your Lord will not wrong anyone. (al-Kahf 18: 49)

﴾and sufficient are We as Reckoners﴿. Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) refers to Himself; sufficient is He as a Reckoner; that is, He knows people’s deeds and has a record of that; He knows their quantity and what reward or punishment they deserve in requital, and He will ensure that the requital reaches the doer.

21:48. Verily We gave to Moosa and Haroon the criterion [between right and wrong - the Torah], and a light, and admonition for the pious.

21:49. who fear their Lord unseen, and are apprehensive about the Hour.

21:50. And this [the Qur’an] is a blessed reminder that We have sent down. Will you then deny it?

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) often mentions these two noble Books together; no Book has ever come to the world that is better than them, of greater renown and blessing, or greater in guidance and clarification. They are the Torah and the Qur’an. Allah tells us that the Torah came principally to Moosa, but also to Haroon, as he joined him in his mission. ﴾the criterion﴿, namely the Torah which differentiates between truth and falsehood, guidance and misguidance. It is flight﴿ by which people are guided; those who want to follow the straight path follow its teachings, and from it they leam religious rulings, distinguish what is lawful from what is prohibited, and find light in the darkness of ignorance, innovation and misguidance.

f[and admonition for the pious﴿, by which they are reminded of what will benefit them and what will harm them, and they are reminded thereby of good and evil. The pious are singled out for mention because they are the ones who benefit from that in terms of both knowledge and deeds.

Then Allah explains who the pious are, namely those ﴾who fear their Lord unseen﴿ that is, they fear Him when they are hiding awayand no one sees them, so it is more apt when they are in the view of others that they refrain from that which is prohibited and they do that which is obligatory.

﴾and are apprehensive about the Hour﴿ that is, they fear it and are in awe of it, because of their perfect knowledge of their Lord. Thus they combine piety with fear of Allah.

﴾And this [the Qur’an] is a blessed reminder that We have sent down﴿. Allah describes two characteristics that it possesses: it is a reminder of all that one needs to be reminded of, such as knowing Allah by His names, attributes and deeds; and the characteristics and stories of the Messengers and close friends of Allah; Islamic rulings having to do with acts of worship, business dealings and other matters; rulings on requital, and paradise and hell. Through the Qur’an people are reminded of issues and proofs both rational and textual. Allah calls it a reminder, because it reminds the individual of what Allah has instilled in his mind and nature of believing in true stories, enjoining what is regarded as good on a rational basis, and forbidding what is regarded as evil on a rational basis. The second characteristic that it possesses, namely that it is blessed, implies that it contains abundant and ever-increasing goodness. There is nothing more blessed than this Qur’an. Every good thing, blessing and increase, whether that is in terms of religious or worldly affairs, or in the hereafter, is because of it and is a result of adhering to it. As it is a blessed reminder, one should accept it with willing submission and give thanks to Allah for this great gift, adhering to its teachings and seeking its blessings by learning its words and meanings. As for responding to it in the opposite manner, by turning away from it, ignoring it, rejecting it and not believing in it, this is one of the worst kinds of disbelief, ignorance and wrongdoing. Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) denounced the one who rejects it by saying: ﴾Will you then deny it?﴿.

21:51. Indeed We bestowed upon Ibraheem maturity of mind [from an early age] before that, for We knew him well,

21:52. [Remember] when he said to his father and his people: What are these images to which you are so devoted?

21:53. They said: We found our fathers worshipping them.

21:54. He said: Indeed you and your fathers have been clearly misguided.

21:55. They said: Are you telling us the truth, or are you joking?

21:56. He said: Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Who created them, and I am one of those who bear witness to that.

21:57. And, by Allah, I have a plan for your idols, after you leave.

Having mentioned Moosa (عليه السلام) and Muhammad (ﷺ) and their Books, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) now says:

﴾Indeed We bestowed upon Ibraheem maturity of mind [from an early age] before that﴿ that is, before the sending of Moosa and Muhammad (ﷺ), and the sending down of their Books. Allah gave him an insight into (His) mighty dominion over the heavens and the earth (cf. 6: 75), and gave him maturity of mind, by means of which he perfected himself and called people to that, such as was given to noone else in the world apart from Muhammad (ﷺ). Maturity of mind is attributed to him, because his level of maturity was commensurate with his situation and high level. Otherwise every believer was given maturity of mind commensurate with the level of his faith.

﴾for We knew him well﴿ that is: We gave him maturity of mind and singled him out to be Our Messenger and close friend, and We chose him in this world and the hereafter, because We knew that he was deserving of that and was qualified for it, due to his purity and intelligence. Hence Allah tells us of how he debated with his people and told them not to ascribe partners to Him, and how he broke their idols and established binding proof against them.

﴾[Remember] when he said to his father and his people: What are these images﴿ that you make and carve with your own hands in the form of some created beings

﴾to which you are so devoted﴿ and you constantly worship them. What are they? What virtue is proven to be in them? Where has your reasoning gone, so that you ended up devoting your lives to worship of these things, at the time when you are the ones who shaped them and carved them with your own hands? This is something very strange indeed, that you worship something that you yourselves carved.

They responded without giving any proof, in the manner of one who is helpless and does not have even the flimsiest argument to support what he does. They said:

﴾We found our fathers worshipping them﴿, so we followed the same path and imitated our fathers in worshipping them.

It is well known that the actions of any person, other than the Messengers, do not constitute proof and it is not permissible to follow a person’s example blindly, especially with regard to fundamentals of religion and the oneness of the Lord of the worlds. Hence Ibraheem said to them, describing them all as being misguided:

﴾Indeed you and your fathers have been clearly misguided﴿ that is, you are obviously misguided, for what misguidance can be greaterthan their misguidance that led them to ascribe partners to Allah and ignore His oneness? In other words, what you have said is not fit to be adhered to, and you and they are all clearly misguided, as is quite obvious to everyone.

﴾They said﴿ by way of finding his words strange, and expressing their shock at what he said, for how could he describe them and their fathers as being foolish?

﴾Are you telling us the truth, or are you joking?﴿ That is, what you have said, and the message you have brought to us, is it really true and serious? Or is what you say to us by way of a joke and ridicule on the part of one who does not know what he is saying? They asked whether it was one or the other, because what they meant was that they were certain that his words were the words of someone foolish, who did not understand what he was saying. Therefore Ibraheem gave them a clear response, highlighting why he thought that they were foolish and lacking in reason:

﴾He said: Nay, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. Who created them, and I am one of those who bear witness to that﴿. Thus he combined rational evidence with textual evidence.

As for the rational evidence, everyone - even those with whom Ibraheem argued - knows that Allah alone is the Creator of all created things, including the sons of Adam, the angels, the jinn, the animals, the heavens and the earth; He controls them all, in all ways. Therefore every created being is under His control and domination, including everything that is worshipped besides Allah. So is it befitting, for anyone who possesses the slightest reason and discernment, to worship a created thing that is itself under control, and does not possess any power to bring benefit, cause harm, cause death, give life or resurrect, and fail to worship the Creator and Provider, Who is in control of all things?

As for the textual evidence, such evidence has been transmitted from the Messengers (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them).Whatever they brought is infallible and cannot be wrong, and it cannot say anything but the truth. Part of this textual evidence is the testimony of any one of the Messengers to that effect. Hence Ibraheem said: tfand I am one of those who bear witness to that﴿ that is, to the fact that Allah alone is deserving of worship, and worship of anything other than Him is false and invalid. What testimony, after the testimony of Allah, can be better than the testimony of the Messengers, especially the Messengers of strong will, and especially the close friend of the Most Gracious?

Having stated that their idols had no control over anything, he wanted to show them in practical terms just how helpless they were and how unable they were to help themselves, by taking action that would force them to admit that. Hence he said:

eAnd, by Allah, I have a plan for your idols﴿ that is, I will break them ﴾after you leave﴿ and head out to attend your festival. When they left, he went to the idols secretly.

21:58. So he broke them to pieces, [all] but the biggest of them, so that they might come back to it [and ask it what happened],

21:59. They said: Who has done this to our gods? He must surely be one of the wrongdoers!

21:60. They said: We heard a young man speaking ill of them; he is called Ibraheem.

21:61. They said: So bring him out before the people, so that they may be witnesses.

21:62. They said: Is it you who has done this to our gods, O Ibraheem?

21:63. He said: Nay, it was this one, the biggest of them, who did it. So ask them, if they can speak!

21:64. So they started thinking and said to one another: Surely it is you who are doing wrong.

21:65. But then they relapsed into their former obstinacy [and said]: You know full well that these [idols] cannot speak.

21:66. Ibraheem said: Do you then worship, besides Allah, that which cannot benefit or harm you in any way?

21:67. Fie on you and on all that you worship besides Allah! Have you then no sense?

﴾So he broke them to pieces﴿ that is, he smashed them. The idols were all gathered together in one place, so he broke all of them, ef [all] but the biggest of them﴿ that is, except the biggest idol, which he left alone for a purpose that would become clear.

When they saw what had happened to their idols of disrespect and humiliation,

﴾They said: Who has done this to our gods? He must surely be one of the wrongdoers!﴿ They accused Ibraheem of wrongdoing when they were the ones who were more deserving of being described as such, because they did not realise that his breaking of the idols was one of the best of his virtues, and was an action that was based on his sense of justice and affirmation of the oneness of Allah. Ratherthe wrongdoer is the one who took such idols as gods, even though he saw what had happened to them.

﴾They said: We heard a young man speaking ill of them﴿) that is, criticising and condemning them, and one who is like that must surely be the one who broke them. Or it may mean that some of them had heard him saying that he had a plan for them.

﴾he is called Ibraheem﴿). When they realised that it was Ibraheem who had broken them,

﴾They said: So bring him﴿-) namely Ibraheem ﴾out before the people﴿) that is, where they can see and hear ﴾so that they may be witnesses﴿) that is, so that they may be present in order to see what is to be done with the one who broke their gods. This is what Ibraheem wanted; he wanted the truth to be manifest before the people so that they could witness the truth, and truth could be established against them, as Moosa said when he made his appointment to confront Pharaoh:

﴾...Your appointment will be on the day of the festival; let the people assemble in the forenoon.﴿) (Ta Ha 20: 59)

When the people had gathered and Ibraheem was brought out, they said to him:

﴾Is it you who has done this﴿) that is, breaking them ﴾to our gods, O Ibraheem?﴿) This was a question that was aimed at affirming that he was the one who did it. In other words: what gave you the audacity and what made you do this thing?

Ibraheem said, as the people were looking on: ﴾Nay, it was this one, the biggest of them, who did it﴿) that is, it broke them out of resentment towards them, because they were being worshipped alongside it, and it wanted you to worship your biggest idol only.

The aim behind these words was to establish binding proof against his opponents. Hence he said: ﴾So ask them, if they can speak!﴿) Hewas referring to the broken idols; ask them why they were broken, and ask the idol that was not broken why it broke them. If they are able to speak they will answer, otherwise you and I, and everyone, will know that they cannot speak and talk, and that they cannot bring benefit or cause harm, indeed they cannot even help themselves against anyone who intends harm towards them.

﴾j[So they started thinking﴿ that is, it was as if their reason suddenly came back to them and they came back to their senses, and realised that they had gone astray by worshipping those idols; they admitted to themselves that they had done wrong and ascribed partners to Allah. ﴾and said to one another: Surely it is you who are doing wrong﴿. Thus the point was made and proof was established by their admission that what they were doing was false and wrong.

But they did not persist in that; rather they ﴾relapsed into their former obstinacy﴿ that is, suddenly they changed and their thinking took a wrong turn, and they said to Ibraheem: ﴾You know full well that these [idols] cannot speak﴿ so how could you make fun of us and ridicule us, telling us to ask them questions when you know that they cannot speak?

Ibraheem said, rebuking them openly in front of the people for ascribing partners to Allah and pointing out that their gods were not deserving of worship:

6fDo you then worship, besides Allah, that which cannot benefit or harm you in any way?﴿

﴾Fie on you and on all that you worship besides Allah!﴿ That is, how astray you are, what losers you are, and how evil you are, you and all that you worship besides Allah! If you had any sense, you would realise the situation you are in. But because you lack common sense and you are ignorant, going astray with your eyes wide open, animals are better off than you.

Once he had defeated them in argument and proved them wrong, they could not produce any evidence to support their ascription of partners to Allah, so they resorted to physical strength to punish him.

21:68. They said: Bum him and avenge your gods, if you are going to take action!

21:69. We said: O fire, be cool and safe for Ibraheem.

21:70. They planned to harm him, but We made them the greatest losers.

21:71. And We saved him and Loot [and brought them] to the land which We have blessed for all people.

﴾They said: Bum him and avenge your gods, if you are going to take action! ]﴿ That is, kill him in the worst manner, by burning him, in anger for the sake of your gods and in support of them. How doomed they were, as they worshipped that which they admitted needed their support, and they took it as a god.

But Allah helped His close friend when they threw him in the fire, as He said to it: ﴾fbe cool and safe for Ibraheem﴿. So it became cool and safe for him, no harm reached him and he did not feel any pain.

﴾They planned to harm him﴿ when they decided to bum him ﴾but We made them the greatest losers﴿ in this world and the hereafter, just as Allah made His close friend and his followers the triumphant winners.

﴾And We saved him and Loot﴿ - that was when no one among his people believed except Loot. It was said that he was the son ofhis brother. Allah saved him and he migrated ﴾to the land which We have blessed for all people﴿ that is, Greater Syria. So Ibraheem left his people in Babylon, in Iraq, and said:

﴾...I shall migrate [where I have been commanded to] by my Lord. Verily, He is the Almighty, Most Wise.﴿ (al- ‘Ankaboor 29: 26)

One of the blessings of Greater Syria is that many of the Prophets went there. Allah chose it as the place of migration for His close friend, and in that land there is one of His three sacred houses, namely Bayt al-Maqdis.

21:72. And We bestowed upon him Is-haq and [then] Ya‘qoob, a grandson, and We made all of them righteous.

21:73. We made them leaders, guiding people by Our command; and We inspired them to do good deeds, establish prayer and give zakah; and they worshipped only Us.

﴾And We bestowed upon him﴿ when he withdrew from his people (f Is-haq and [then] Ya'qoob﴿, the son of Is-haq ﴾fa grandson﴿ after he had grown old and his wife was barren, the angels gave him the glad tidings of Is-haq:

.. .and, after Is-haq, of Ya‘qoob.﴿ (Hood II: 71)

Ya'qoob is Isra’eel (Israel), from whom stemmed a great nation. Ibraheem was also the father of Isma'eel, from whom stemmed the noble Arab nation, and among his descendants was the leader of the first and the last (namely the Prophet Muhammad [J^]).

tfand We made all of them﴿ namely, Ibraheem, Is-haq and Ya'qoob ﴾righteous﴿ that is, fulfilling their duties towards Him and towards His slaves. Because of their righteousness, He made them leaders who guided people by His command. This is one of the greatest blessings that Allah may bestow upon His slave, by making him a leader by means of whom people are guided and whom many people follow. That is because they were patient and steadfast, and they had certain faith in the revelations of Allah.

﴾guiding people by Our command﴿ that is, on the basis of the teachings of Our religion. They did not instruct people to do things on the basis of their own whims and desires; rather it was by the command of Allah and in accordance with His religion, and for the purpose of seeking His pleasure. A person cannot be a leader unless he calls people to that which Allah has commanded.

﴾and We inspired them to do good deeds﴿ which they did, calling people to them. This includes all good deeds with regard to duties towards Allah and towards other people.

﴾establish prayer and give zakah﴿ - this comes under the heading of mentioning specific deeds after speaking in general terms, because of the noble status and virtue of these two acts of worship. Whoever does them properly, his religious commitment will be sound, but whoever neglects them will be more neglectful with regard to other matters. Moreover, prayer is the best of deeds that are due to Allah, and zakah is the best of deeds that involve kindness towards His creation.

﴾and they worshipped only Us﴿ and no others. In other words, they persisted in acts of worship, both in their hearts (in terms of belief) and in their words and physical actions, most of the time. So they deserved to be described as worshippers, as they adhered to that which Allah enjoined upon humankind and the purpose for which He created them.

21:74. To Loot also We gave wisdom and knowledge, and We saved him from the city that practised abominations. Verily, they were a people given to wickedness, and rebellious.

21:75. And We admitted him to Our mercy, for he was one of the righteous.

Here Allah praises His Messenger Loot (عليه السلام) for having religious knowledge and having the knowledge to judge between people soundly and correctly. Allah sent him to his people, to call them to worship Allah alone and to forbid them to do the shameful deeds they were involved in. He spent some time calling them, but they did not respond to him, so Allah turned their city upside down upon them and punished them all, because they were ﴾ja people given to wickedness, and rebellious﴿. They rejected the caller and threatened to punish him, but Allah saved Loot and his family. He commanded him to take them and leave by night, so that they could get far away from the city. So they left at night and thus were saved, by the grace and blessing of Allah towards them.

﴾And We admitted him to Our mercy﴿ and whoever enters it will be safe from all fears, and will attain all goodness, happiness, joy and praise. That is because he was one of the righteous, whose deeds were righteous, who became of sound character and Allah put right the (formerly) wicked ones among them. Righteousness is the means of being admitted to the mercy of Allah, just as wickedness is the means of being deprived of mercy and goodness. The most righteous of thepeople are the Prophets (peace be upon them), hence Allah describes them as righteous. Sulayman said:

﴾...and include me, by Your mercy, among Your righteous slaves.i﴿

21:76. And [remember] Nooh, when he called upon [Us] before that. We answered him and saved him and his family from great distress.

21:77. And We delivered him from the people who rejected Our signs. They were a people given to wickedness, so We drowned them all.

That is, and remember Our slave and Messenger Nooh (عليه السلام), by way of praising and commending him. When Allah sent him to his people, he stayed among them for one thousand years less fifty, calling them to worship Allah alone and forbidding them to ascribe partners to Him, trying repeatedly and never wavering, calling them in private and in public, by night and day.

But when he saw that exhorting them was to no avail, and that rebuking them was of no benefit, he called upon his Lord and said: ﴾...My Lord, do not leave on earth a single living soul from among the disbelievers. For if You leave them, they will mislead Your slaves and will beget none but wicked disbelievers.﴿ (Nooh 71: 26-27)

Allah answered his prayer and drowned them, and not one of them survived, but Allah saved Nooh and his family, along with thebelievers who were with him, in the laden ark, and He caused his offspring to be the survivors, and Allah granted him victory over his people who had ridiculed him.

21:78. And [remember] Dawood and Sulayman, when they gave judgement in the case of the field into which some people’s sheep had strayed at night and eaten the crops. We were witness to their judgement.

21:79. We guided Sulayman to the right verdict, and to each of them We gave wisdom and knowledge. And We compelled the mountains and the birds to glorify Allah with Dawood, for We are able to do [all things],

21:80. And We taught him the art of making coats of mail for your benefit, to protect you in battle. Will you then be grateful?

21:81. And for Sulayman [We subjugated] the raging wind, which blew at his command to the land which We had blessed. And We have full knowledge of all things.

21:82. And [We also subjugated for him] some of the devils who dived for him in the sea and performed other tasks. And We were watching over them.

That is, and remember these two noble Prophets, namely Dawood and Sulayman, by way of praise and commendation. Allah gave them abundant knowledge and the ability to judge between people, based on the words: ﴾when they gave judgement in the case of the field into which some people’s sheep had strayed at night and eaten the crops﴿ that is, when the owner of the field referred to them for judgement, as some people’s sheep had strayed into the field at night and grazed there, eating everything that was growing, and had eaten his crops. Dawood (عليه السلام) issued a verdict that the sheep should go to the owner of the field, based on the negligence of their owners, so he punished them in this manner.

But Sulayman gave the right verdict in this case, as he ruled that the owners of the sheep should let the owners of the field keep the sheep and benefit from their milk and wool, and they should tend the garden of the owner of the field until they had restored it to its original state. Then when it was restored to its original state, each party should return the property of the other. This was due to his perfect understanding and smartness. Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾We guided Sulayman to the right verdict﴿ that is, We helped him to understand this case and reach the right verdict. This does not mean that Allah did not enable Dawood to reach the right verdict in other cases. Hence He pointed this out, as He says: ﴾fand to each of them﴿ namely Dawood and Sulayman ﴾We gave wisdom and knowledge﴿. This indicates that a judge may reach the right conclusion or he may get it wrong; he is not to be blamed if he makes a mistake so long as he tried his hardest.

Then Allah tells us of what was given uniquely to each of them:

﴾And We compelled the mountains and the birds to glorify Allah with Dawood)﴿ that is because he was one of the most devoted of worshippers and one of those who remembered Allah the most, glorifying Him and praising Him. Allah had given him a beautiful, soft and melodious voice, such as He had never given to anyone else.So when he glorified and praised Allah, the mountains and birds would repeat his words of praise. This was by the grace and great kindness of Allah to him. Hence Allah says: ﴾for We are able to do [all things]﴿.

﴾And We taught him the art of making coats of mail for your benefit﴿ that is, Allah taught Dawood (عليه السلام) how to make coats of mail. He was the first one to make them and learn this craft, and this skill was passed down to those who came after him. Allah made iron soft in his hands and taught him how to make it into rings of chainmail, which was of immense benefit.

﴾to protect you in battle﴿ that is, it is protection for you, to protect you in battle when the fighting grows intense.

﴾Will you then be grateful?﴿ For the blessing that Allah has bestowed upon you, when He caused it to reach you through His slave Dawood. This is like the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ((...and He has given you garments to protect you from heat, and garments to protect you in battle. Thus does He perfect His favours to you, so that you may submit to Him.﴿ (an-Nahl 16: HI)

It may be that when Allah taught Dawood how to make chainmail and made iron soft for him, this was a miracle by which as the commentators said - Allah made iron soft for him until he was able to use it like dough or clay, without having to melt it in fire.

Or it may be that Allah taught him how to do it in the ordinary manner, and that iron was made soft for him by way of Allah teaching him the means that is known now, namely melting it. This is what appears to be the case, because Allah is reminding people of His favour and instructing them to give thanks for it. Were it not for the fact that making it is something that Allah has put within the capability of people. He would not have reminded them of this favour and mentioned its benefit, because it is not possible that only the chainmail that was actually made by Dawood (عليه السلام) is what is meant here. Rather the reminder has to do with the knowledge of how tomake it. There is no evidence for the first possibility mentioned by the commentators except the words:

. .And We made iron malleable for him.﴿ (Saba’34. 10)

There is nothing to indicate that He made it soft for him without any cause. And Allah knows best about that.

And for Sulayman [We subjugated] the raging wind﴿ that is, the fast-moving wind

﴾which blew at his command﴿; wherever it was directed, it would obey his command, travelling a month’s journey in the morning and again in the afternoon, coming back ﴾fto the land which We had blessed﴿, namely Greater Syria, where he resided. He would travel on the wind, east and west, but he would always come back to the blessed land.

﴾And We have full knowledge of all things﴿ that is, Our knowledge encompasses all things; We knew about Dawood and Sulayman, and that which made them deserve to be blessed as described.

﴾And [We also subjugated for him] some of the devils who dived for him in the sea and performed other tasks﴿. This was another of the unique characteristics of Sulayman (ItO: Allah subjugated for him devils and ifrits, and gave him the power to subjugate them to do tasks that many others were not able to do. Some of them dived in the sea for him and brought out pearls and other things, and some of them worked for him as he desired, (making) arches, images, basins as large as reservoirs, and (cooking) cauldrons fixed (in their places) (cf. 34:13). He subjugated some of them to build Bayt al-Maqdis (the Temple) for him, and he died whilst they were building it, but they continued for a year after that, until they found out that he had died, as we shall see below, in sha’ Allah.

﴾And We were watching over them﴿ that is, they could not refuse to do anything he told them to, or disobey him; rather Allah kept watch over them, by His might, power and authority.

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21:83. And [remember] Ayyoob, when He called upon his Lord: Affliction has indeed befallen me, and You are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

21:84. So We answered his prayer and relieved his affliction, and We restored his family to him and doubled their number, as a mercy from Us and as a reminder for all who worship Us.

That is, remember Our slave and Messenger Ayyoob, in a context of praise and respect, showing his high status, when Allah tested him with a great trial and found him patient and content with his Lord. The Shaytan was given power over his body as a test from Allah, so he breathed into his body and he was afflicted with great sores that stayed for a long time. He faced a severe calamity, his family died and he lost his wealth, so he called out to his Lord: O Lord, ﴾Affliction has indeed befallen me, and You are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy﴿.

He beseeched Allah by telling of his situation - and that his affliction had become so severe - and by referring to His abundant mercy. So Allah responded to him and said to him:

^...Strike [the ground] with your foot. Here is cool water for you to wash in and drink.﴿ ($ad38: 42)

So he struck the ground with his foot, and as a result of his doing so, a spring of cold water gushed forth. He bathed in it and drank from it, and Allah relieved him of his affliction.

﴾fand We restored his family to him)i that is, we returned his family and his wealth to him﴾and doubled their number﴿ because, in addition to healing him, Allah granted him family and wealth in abundance.

﴾as a mercy from Us﴿ to him, because he was patient and was content with his Lord. Therefore Allah rewarded him in this world, before bestowing the reward of the hereafter.

﴾and as a reminder for all who worship Us﴿ that is, We made him a lesson for all who worship Us, those who will benefit from the lesson. When they see what befell him of calamity, then what Allah rewarded him with after it was over, and they look for the reason behind that, they will realise that it is patience and steadfastness. Hence Allah praised him for that when He said:

.. .Truly We found him to be patient and steadfast, a good and faithful slave who constantly turned [to Us].﴿ ($ad38: 44)

So they will take him as an example to follow when calamity strikes.

21:85. And remember Isma'eel and Idrees and Dhul-Kifl. All of them were men of constancy and patience,

21:86. And We admitted them to Our mercy, for they were among the righteous.

And remember Our chosen slaves and Prophets, mention them in the best manner, and praise them in the most eloquent terms: Isma‘eel ibn Ibraheem, and Idrees and Dhul-Kifl, who were two of the Prophets of the Israelites.

﴾All﴿ of those who are mentioned here «fwere men of constancy and patience﴿. Constancy and patience refers to restraining oneself fromdoing that to which one is naturally inclined. This includes all three types of patience: patience in obeying Allah, patience in refraining from disobeying Allah, and patience in accepting the decree of Allah when it is painful. No one deserves to be described as perfectly patient unless he fulfils all three types of patience.

Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) described these Prophets (peace be upon them) as being patient, which indicates that they attained all three types of patience, and they exercised patience. He also described them as righteous, which includes righteousness of the heart, by knowing and loving Allah, and turning to Him at all times; righteousness of the tongue, by keeping it moist with the remembrance of Allah; and physical righteousness, by keeping the physical faculties busy with acts of obedience to Allah and restraining them from sin. By virtue of their patience and righteousness, Allah admitted them to His mercy and included them alongside their fellow Messengers, and He rewarded them in this world and in the hereafter. If their reward was no more than making their names renowned among humankind and granting them an honourable mention among the later nations, that would be sufficient honour and virtue.

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21:87. And [remember] Dhun-Noon [Yoonus], when he departed in anger, thinking that We would not punish him. Then he called out in the depths of darkness: There is no god but You. Glory be to You; I have indeed done wrong.

21:88. So We answered his prayer and delivered him from his distress; thus do We deliver the believers.

That is, and remember Our slave and Messenger Dhun-Noon, namely Yoonus, the one who was swallowed by the fish; remember him in the best terms and praise him, for Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) sent him to his people, and he called them, but they did not believe, so he warned them of the punishment which would befall at a set time of which he informed them.

The punishment came to them, and they saw it with their own eyes, so they turned to Allah, beseeching and repenting, and Allah spared them the punishment, as He says elsewhere:

﴾There was no city that believed [after seeing the punishment] and benefitted from its faith except the people of Yoonus. When they believed. We removed from them the punishment of disgrace in this world, and allowed them to enjoy life for a while.(Yoonus 10: 98) And He said:

﴾We sent him as a Messenger to a hundred thousand people or more, and they believed, so We allowed them to enjoy life for a while.﴿

This great nation that believed in the call of Yoonus was one of his greatest virtues, but he departed in anger and ran away to the fully laden ship, because of some sin of which Allah has not told us in His Book, and we have no need to know what it was, as Allah tells us: ﴾He ran away to the fully-laden ship, then he drew lots with them and he was one of those who lost. Then the fish swallowed him. He had done an act worthy of blame.﴿ (as-Sdffat 37: 140-142)

What appears to be the case is that this refers to his hastening to leave his people, getting angry with them, and leaving them before Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) instructed him to do so, and thinking that Allah would not punish him for that and would not put him in a constrained space in the belly of the fish, or he thought that he could escape the punishment of Allah. There is nothing wrong with such a thought crossing the mind of people of perfect character, in a way that does not take root and doesnot persist. So he embarked on the ship with some other people, then they cast lots to determine which of them should be thrown into the sea, because they feared that they would drown if they all remained on board. The lot fell to Yoonus, so he was thrown overboard and the fish swallowed him and took him down to the darkest depths of the sea. In the depths of darkness he called out: ﴾There is no god but You. Glory be to You; I have indeed done wrong﴿. Thus he affirmed the perfect divinity of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), declaring Him to be above any shortcomings, defects or faults, and he acknowledged his own wrongdoing and transgression. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) said:

﴾Were it not for the fact that he was one of those who glorified Allah a great deal, he would have remained in its belly until the Day of Resurrection.﴿ (as-Saffat 37: 143-144)

Hence Allah says here: ﴾So We answered his prayer and delivered him from his distress﴿ that is, from the hardship he had fallen into. ﴾thus do We deliver the believers﴿. This is a promise and glad tidings to every believer who falls into hardship and distress, that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will save him from it, and will grant him relief and alleviate his distress, because of his faith, as He did in the case of Yoonus (عليه السلام).

21:89. And [remember] Zakariya, when he called upon his Lord: My Lord, do not leave me childless, although You are the best of inheritors.

21:90. So We answered his prayer and We bestowed upon him Yahya, and cured his wife [of barrenness]. Verily, they used to hasten to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us in hope and fear, and they were always humble before Us.

That is, and remember Our slave Zakariya, by way of praise and holding him in high esteem, mentioning his virtues and good characteristics, among which was this great virtue which is indicative of his sincerity towards people and the mercy of Allah towards him. He ﴾called upon his Lord: My Lord, do not leave me childless﴿. In other words: he said:

f(...My Lord, my bones have grown weak and my head glows silver with age, but never, my Lord, has my prayer to You remained unanswered. Verily, I fear [what] my kinsmen [will do] after I am gone, for my wife is barren.^{1His kinsmen did not care about religion, and he was afraid that after he died, religion would be neglected. So he asked for an heir who would uphold religion after he was gone. Therefore he asked for someone who would inherit knowledge and prophethood, not wealth, from him. (al-Qurtubi)} Grant unto me by Your grace an heir, who will inherit from me and from the family of Ya‘qoob, and make him. my Lord, one with whom You are pleased.﴿ (Maryam 19. 4-6) From these verses, in which we see that he said ﴾My Lord, do not leave me childless﴿, we leam that as death approached, he feared that there would be no one to take his place in calling people to Allah and advising the slaves of Allah, for there was no one at his time who was like him in knowledge, and there would be no one to succeed him and carry on the work that he had been doing.

﴾although You are the best of inheritors﴿ that is, the best of those who remain, and the best to do good to people after I am gone, for You are more merciful towards Your slaves than I am, but I want to put my mind at rest and be reassured, and to have ongoing reward for that.

﴾So We answered his prayer and We bestowed upon him Yahya)﴿ the noble Prophet, whose name Allah had never given to anyone before him.

﴾s﴾and cured his wife [of barrenness]﴿ after her womb had been unable to bear children. Allah healed her and made her womb able to bear a child, for the sake of His Prophet Zakariya. This is one of the benefits of having good and righteous companions, for those who keep company with them will be blessed. Thus Yahya was bom to his parents.

Having mentioned these Prophets and Messengers, each of them on his own, Allah praises all of them in general terms by saying: ﴾Verily, they used to hasten to do good deeds﴿ that is, they would hasten to do them at the best time and complete them in the appropriate manner, not omitting any virtue that they were able to attain without making the most of any opportunity to do good. ﴾and they used to call on Us in hope and fear﴿ that is, they would ask Us for whatever they needed and hoped for, in this world and the hereafter, and they would seek refuge with Us from that which they feared of harm in both realms, hoping and fearing, never becoming heedless or distracted, or taking things for granted. ﴾and they were always humble before Us﴿ that is, they submitted with humility, beseeching Us, because of their perfect knowledge of their Lord.

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21:91. And [remember] the one who guarded her chastity: We blew into her [garment] through Our angel [Jibreel], and We made her and her son a sign for all people.

21:92. Verily this religion of yours is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me alone.

21:93. But people have divided themselves into sects; yet to Us they will all return.

21:94. Then whoever does righteous deeds and is a believer, his efforts will not go unappreciated, for We are recording it.

That is, and remember Maryam (peace be upon her), praising her, pointing out her high status and making her chastity known to all.

﴾the one who guarded her chastity﴿ that is, she protected it from that which is prohibited and from approaching such deeds; she also protected it from that which is lawful. She did not marry, because she was focused on worship, and spent all her time serving her Lord.

When Jibreel came to her in the form of a perfect, handsome man: ﴾She said: I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you; [do not come near me] if you fear Him!﴿ (Maryam 19. 18)

Allah granted her a reward that fit the nature of her deed, as He blessed her with a son without a father; rather Jibreel blew into her (garment) and she conceived by Allah’s leave.

﴾fand We made her and her son a sign for all people﴿, as she conceived him and gave birth to him without anyone touching her; and he spoke in the cradle, declaring her innocent of that of which people accused her, and he spoke of himself in that situation. Allah caused extraordinary events and miracles to occur at his hands, as is well known. Thus she and her son were a sign for all people, as generation after generation of those who pay heed have spoken of her and learned lessons from her.

Having mentioned the Prophets, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) now addresses the humankind and says: ﴾Verily this religion of yours is one religion﴿ that is, this religion is the religion of all the Messengers mentioned. They are your leaders whose example you follow. They all follow one religion and one path, and they all worship one Lord.

Hence Allah says: ﴾fand I am your Lord﴿ Who created you and bestowed My blessings upon you, by guiding you to faith and granting other worldly blessings. As the Lord is one, and the Prophet is one, and the religion is one - and it is to worship Allah alone, with no partner or associate, devoting all kinds of worship to Him - your role and duty is to follow that. Hence Allah says: ﴾jso worship Me alone﴿.

What should have happened is that people should have agreed on the matter of religion and not been divided on this matter, but transgression and enmity insisted on causing divisions and dissent. Hence Allah says: ﴾But people have divided themselves into sects﴿ that is, they split into factions and parties who claim to follow the Prophets, each claiming to possess the truth and regarding all others as following falsehood.

﴾But people divided into sects, each group rejoicing in what it has.﴿ (al-Mu minoon 23: 53)

It is known that the one who gets it right is the one who follows the true religion and straight path, following in the footsteps of the Prophets. This will become clear when the covers are removed and hidden things are exposed, when Allah gathers all people to pass judgement. At that time it will become clear who is telling the truth and who is lying. Hence Allah says: ﴾yet to Us they will all return﴿ that is, all these various groups, and others, will return to Us and We will requite them in full.

Then Allah explains how He will requite them: ﴾Then whoever does righteous deeds﴿ that is, the deeds that were prescribed by the Messengers and encouraged in the Books﴾and is a believer﴿ in Allah and His Messengers, and the message they brought

﴾his efforts will not go unappreciated﴿ that is. We will not cause his efforts to be wasted or rendered invalid; rather We will greatly multiply the reward for them.

﴾for We are recording it﴿ that is, We are recording it in al-Lawh al-Mahfoodh, and in pages that are with the recording angels. This implies that whoever does not do righteous deeds, or who does righteous deeds but is not a believer, will be deprived of reward and will be a loser in both religious and worldly terms.

21:95. It is not possible for any city whom We have destroyed to return [to this world].

That is, it is impossible for any city that was destroyed with the punishment to return to this world in order to make up for what they neglected. There is no way for those who were destroyed and punished to return. So let those who are addressed here beware of continuing to do that which leads to doom, lest it befall them, for then it cannot be lifted; let them give up (their sin) whilst it is still possible for them to do so.

21:96. until, when Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj have been let loose and come rushing from all directions,

21:97. and the true promise^{1This refers to the Day of Resurrection.} nears its fulfilment; then the eyes of the disbelievers will stare in horror [and they will say]: Woe to us! We were indeed heedless of this; nay, we were wrongdoers.

This is a warning from Allah to the people, lest they persist in disbelief and sin, for the time has drawn near for the emergence of Ya’jooj and Ma’jooj. These are two great tribes of the sons of Adam. Dhul-Qamayn built the barrier to contain them, when a complaint was made to him about their spreading mischief in the land.

At the end of time, the barrier will be breached and they will emerge against people in the manner described by Allah, rushing from all directions. This is indicative of their huge numbers and the speed with which they will travel throughout the earth, either because of their own strength or because of what Allah will create for them of means of crossing large distances and making that which is difficult easy. They will subdue the people and behave arrogantly towards them in this world, and no one will be able to fight them.

﴾fand the true promise nears its fulfilment﴿ namely the Day of Resurrection, which Allah has promised will come, and His promise is true. On that day, you will see the eyes of the disbelievers staring in horror because of the intensity of fear, great terror and immense turmoil, and because of what they know of their offences and sins. They will pray against themselves and call for doom, in regret and sorrow for what has passed, and they will say:

﴾f\Voe to us! We were indeed heedless of this﴿ great day, for we were constantly distracted from it, indulging in worldly pleasures, until that which is certain (death) came to us, and the resurrection came to us. If anyone could die of regret and sorrow, they would die.﴾nay, we were wrongdoers﴿ - they will admit their wrongdoing and will acknowledge that Allah has been just towards them.

At that point, orders will be issued to take them to the fire, they and that which they used to worship. Hence Allah says:

21:98. Verily you [O disbelievers] and that which you worship besides Allah are fuel for hell; to it you will [surely] come.

21:99. If these [idols] had really been gods, they would not have come to it. But they will all abide therein forever.

21:100. Therein they will be wailing, and they will not be able to hear.

21:101. But those for whom We have decreed good will surely be kept far away from it.

21:102. They will not hear even the slightest sound of it, and they will abide forever in that which their hearts desire.

21:103. The greatest terror will not grieve them; and the angels will welcome them [saying]: This is your day, that you were promised.

That is, O you who used to worship other gods alongside Allah, you ﴾are fuel for hell; to it you will [surely] come﴿, you and your idols.

The wisdom behind the admission of the idols to hell, even though they are inanimate and cannot think, and there is no sin on their part, is to highlight the lies of those who took them as gods, and so as to increase their punishment. Hence Allah says:

﴾If these [idols] had really been gods, they would not have come to it﴿. This is like the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾[They will be raised up] so that He may make clear to them that concerning which they differ, and so that those who disbelieved may realise that they were lying.﴿ (an-Nahl 16: 39)

Both the worshippers and their objects of worship will abide therein forever, and will never emerge from it or depart from it.

﴾Therein they will be wailing﴿ because of the severity of the punishment

﴾and they will not be able to hear﴿. They will be deaf, dumb and blind, unable to hear any sound other than that made by the fire, because of the intensity of its boiling, wailing and raging.

The admission of the gods of the polytheists to hell only refers to the idols or those who were worshipped and approved of that.

However in the case of the Messiah, ‘Uzayr, the angels and other close friends of Allah who were worshipped, they will not be punished for that. They are included among ﴾those for whom We have decreed good﴿ that is, according to the prior knowledge of Allah and as is written in al-Lawh al-Mahfoodh. they are blessed, and in this world they are guided to the path of ease and righteous deeds. They ﴾will surely be kept far away from it﴿ namely hell. They will not enter it or even come near it; rather they will be kept very far away from it, so that they will not hear the slightest sound from it or see it.

﴾and they will abide forever in that which their hearts desire﴿ of food, drink, spouses and scenery, such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it ever entered the mind of man. That will be perpetual and will increase in beauty with the passage of time.

﴾The greatest terror will not grieve them﴿ that is, it will not worry them when the people panic at the greatest terror. That will be on the Day of Resurrection, when the fire is brought near, raging with anger towards the disbelievers and sinners, and there will be great panic and terror at that point, but these righteous people will not be grieved by that, because they are certain of what lies ahead of them, for Allah has granted them safety against what they fear.

(﴾and the angels will welcome them﴿ when they are resurrected from their graves and come on camels as a delegation. The angels will congratulate them, saying: ﴾This is your day, that you were promised﴿; we congratulate you for what Allah has promised you. So be of great good cheer, for what lies ahead of you of honour, and rejoice greatly, for Allah has saved you from fear and harm.

21:104. On that day We will roll up the heavens like a written scroll. As We originated creation, so We will repeat it, a promise binding upon Us. We will indeed fulfil it.

21:105. We wrote in the scripture, after We had done so in the Reminder: My righteous slaves will inherit the land.

Here Allah tells us that on the Day of Resurrection, He will roll up the heavens, despite their vastness, as a written scroll is rolled up. The stars will be scattered, and the sun and moon will be rolled up and moved from their places. ﴾As We originated creation, so We will repeat it﴿ that is, We will create them anew, as We created them the first time. As we created them initially, when they were nothing, so too We will recreate them after they have died.﴾a promise binding upon Us. We will indeed fulfil it﴿ and do what We have promised. That is because of His perfect might, for nothing is impossible for Him.

﴾We wrote in the scripture﴿ this refers to the divinely revealed Books, such as the Torah and the like

Rafter We had done so in the Reminder﴿ that is. We wrote it in the divinely revealed Books, after We had written it in the previous record, namely al-Lawh al-Mahfoodh. What was written in it is:

﴾My righteous slaves﴿ that is, those who did what was enjoined and avoided what was prohibited ﴾will inherit the land﴿ namely, the land of paradise. It is His righteous slaves whom Allah will cause to inherit paradise, as the people of paradise will say:

﴾...Praise be to Allah Who has fulfilled His promise to us and given us this land as our own, so that we may dwell in paradise wherever

It may be that what is meant is becoming in charge of the land on earth, and that Allah will give the righteous power and authority on earth, and will cause them to be in charge of it, as He says elsewhere: ﴾Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors [to power] in the land, as He made those before them successors; that He will surely establish for them their religion that He has chosen for them; and that He will surely cause their [present] state of fear to be replaced by peace and security. [That is because] they worship Me alone and do not associate anything with Me. If any are ungrateful after this, it is they who are the evildoers.﴿ (an-Noor24: 55). y% A ym

21:106. Verily this [Qur’an] is sufficient for people who are devoted to worshipping Allah.

21:107. And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.

21:108. Say: It has been revealed to me that your God is One God. Will you then submit to Him [in Islam]?

21:109. But if they turn away, say: I have proclaimed the message to all of you alike; but I do not know whether what you are warned of is imminent or far off.

21:110. Verily He knows what is said openly and He knows what you conceal.

21:111. For all I know, this may be a test for you and a short reprieve.

21:112. He said: O my Lord, judge in truth. Our Lord, the Most Gracious, is the One Whose help is to be sought against what you utter [of falsehood].

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) praises His noble Book, the Qur’an, and explains that it is completely sufficient and they have no need of anything else; no one can do without it.

﴾Verily this [Qur’an] is sufficient for people who are devoted to worshipping Allah﴿ that is, it is sufficient to help them reach their Lord and His paradise. It shows them the way to attain the sublime goal and best aim. Those who are devoted to worshipping Allah - who are the noblest of humankind - have no other aim, because this Book will guarantee that they will learn about their Lord and His names, attributes and deeds; and about the true stories of the unseen. It calls them to the fundamentals of faith, highlighting proof and evidence forthat, explaining all the commands and prohibitions, highlighting the faults and weaknesses of the soul, what could undermine deeds, and the ways they should follow in minor and major issues of religion. It warns them against the paths of the Shaytan and explains how he interferes with man and tries to gain control over him. Whoever does not think that the Qur’an is sufficient, may Allah never make him content.

Then Allah praises His Messenger (ﷺ) who brought the Qur’an: ﴾And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds﴿ for he is Allah’s mercy, given to His slaves. So those who believe in him accept this mercy, give thanks for it and adhere to it, but others reject it, respond with ingratitude for the blessing of Allah, and refuse the mercy and grace of Allah.

﴾Say﴿, O Muhammad (ﷺ): ﴾It has been revealed to me that your God is One God﴿ and none is deserving of worship except Him. Hence He says: ﴾Will you then submit to Him [in Islam]?﴿ That is, submit in servitude to Him and surrender to His divinity. If they do that, then let them praise their Lord for this blessing that He has bestowed upon them that surpasses all other blessings.

﴾But if they turn away﴿ and do not submit in servitude to their Lord, then warn them of the punishment, and ﴾say: I have proclaimed the message﴿ that is, I have given notice of the punishment ﴾fto all of you alike﴿ that is, all of us, you and I, are now equally aware of it, so do not say, when the punishment befalls you:

﴾f...No bearer of glad tidings and no warner ever came to us...﴿

Rather now everyone knows about it, because I have warned you and have told you the consequences of disbelief, and I have not withheld or concealed anything from you.

?fbut I do not know whether what you are warned of﴿ namely the punishment ﴾fis imminent or far off﴿, because knowledge of that iswith Allah, and it is under His control; I have no say in the matter at all.

﴾For all I know, this may be a test for you and a short reprieve﴿ that is, perhaps the delay of the punishment that you seek to hasten is bad for you, so that you may enjoy life in this world for a little while, then your punishment will be greater.

﴾He said: O my Lord, judge in truth﴿ that is, between me and the disbelieving people. Allah answered this supplication and judged between them in this world, before the hereafter, as He punished the disbelievers at the Battle of Badr and otherwise.

﴾Our Lord, the Most Gracious, is the One Whose help is to be sought against what you utter [of falsehood]﴿ that is, we ask our Lord, the Most Gracious, and we seek His help against what you say; we will prevail over you and your religion will diminish. This is not selfadmiration on our part, and we are not putting our trust in our power or strength; rather we are seeking the help of the Most Gracious, in Whose Hand is the forelock of every creature, and we hope that He will continue to bestow His mercy upon us. And He did indeed do that. Praise be to Allah.

This is the end of the commentary on Soorat al-Anbiya’.

All praise and thanks are for Allah, and may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), his family, and his Companions abundantly until the Day of Judgement.

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