29:1. Alif. Lam. Meem.^{1Groups of letters (al-huroof al-muqattakah) appear at the beginning of several soorahs. The most correct scholarly view states that we are required to believe in them as they appear to be, without delving into their meaning, knowledge of which we should leave to Allah. We believe that they were not revealed in vain, and that there is wisdom behind them of which we are not aware.}

29:2. Do people think that once they say: We believe, they will be left alone and not be tested?

29:3. Indeed We tested those who came before them. For Allah will surely make known those who are sincere and will surely make known those who are liars.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us of the perfect nature of His wisdom, and that His wisdom does not dictate that anyone who says that he is a believer and claims to have faith will be safe from trials and tests, and will not be exposed to that which may cause confusion with regard to their faith and related issues. If that were the case, there would be nothing to distinguish one who is sincere from one who is lying, or the follower of truth from the follower of falsehood. Rather His way with the earlier nations and with this Ummah is to test them by means of ease and hardship, times when one feels energised and times when one feels reluctant, wealth and poverty, causing their enemies to have the upper hand over them at times, and causing them to strive against the enemy in word and deed, and other kinds of tests, all of which may lead to confusion that is indicative of doubts and overwhelming desires on his part.

When faced with doubts, whoever does not waver in his faith and wards off those doubts by means of the truth in which he believes, and when faced with desires that would call him to sin or error, or distract him from that which Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) have enjoined, he still persists in doing as faith dictates, striving against his desires, this is proof of the sincerity and soundness of his faith.

But when faced with specious arguments that impact his heart by stirring up doubts and confusion, and when faced with desires that lead him to commit sin or that distract him from doing obligatory deeds, if a person yields to those pressures, this indicates that his faith is not sound or sincere.

People are of varying degrees in this regard, and only Allah knows the level at which anyone is. We ask Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) to make us steadfast with the word that stands firm in this world and in the hereafter, and to make our hearts steadfast in adhering to His religion, for tests and trials are like the bellows that eliminate dross and make hearts good.

29:4. Do those who do evil deeds think that they can outwit Us? How ill they judge.

That is, do those whose main concern is doing evil deeds and committing sins think that their deeds will be ignored, and that Allah will not pay any attention to them, or that they can outwit Him, and that is why they did those deeds and it was easy for them to do so?

﴾How ill they judge﴿ that is, how badly they think, and how unjust is their verdict, because it is an implicit denial of the power and wisdom of Allah, and suggests that they have the power to protect themselves from the punishment of Allah, when in fact they are the weakest and most incapable of all.

29:5. Whoever hopes to meet his Lord, the time appointed by Allah [for that meeting] is surely coming, and He is All-Hearing, All- Knowing.

29:6. Whoever strives only strives for his own benefit. Verily Allah has no need of the worlds.

That is, O you who love your Lord and long to be near Him and meet Him, and hasten to seek His pleasure, receive the glad tidings that your meeting with the Beloved is at hand and will soon come, foreverything that is coming is near at hand. So prepare to meet Him and start your journey towards Him with your heart full of hope, hoping to reach Him. But not everyone who makes a claim will be accepted as having a sound claim, and not everyone who wishes for something will be given what he wishes for. For Allah hears all voices and knows all intentions. Whoever is sincere in that will attain what he hopes for, but whoever is insincere, his claim will not benefit him. Allah knows best who is deserving of His love and who is not.

﴾Whoever strives﴿a against his own self {nafs), against his devil and against his disbelieving enemy ﴾only strives for his own benefit﴿ because the benefit of that will come back to him. Allah has no need of people, and He did not ordain commands to them in order to benefit Himself, or ordain prohibitions for them out of miserliness towards them.

It is known that commands and prohibitions require the accountable person to strive and make an effort, because his nafs (self) is reluctant to do good by nature, his devil tells him not to comply, and his disbelieving enemy tries to prevent him from practising his religion as he should. All of these are obstacles that one must strive hard to overcome.

29:7. As for those who believe and do righteous deeds, We will surely expiate their bad deeds and We will surely grant them their reward according to the best of their deeds.

That is, with regard to those whom Allah blesses with faith and righteous deeds. He will expiate their bad deeds, because good deeds erase bad deeds.﴾and We will surely grant them their reward according to the best of their deeds﴿ namely their good deeds, both obligatory and encouraged. They are the best of a person’s deeds, because he also does permissible deeds and others.

29:8. We have enjoined upon man kindness to his parents, but if they endeavour to make you ascribe partners to Me of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them. To Me you will all return, then I will inform you about what you used to do.

That is, We have enjoined and instructed man to show kindness to his parents, by honouring them and treating them kindly in word and deed, which he must do constantly, and not disobey them or mistreat them in word or deed.

﴾but if they endeavour to make you ascribe partners to Me of which you have no knowledge﴿ - for there is no evidence of the validity of ascribing partners to Allah. This is indicative of the gravity and serious nature of polytheism

﴾then do not obey them. To Me you will all return, then I will inform you about what you used to dop and I will requite you for your deeds. So honour your parents and give precedence to obeying them, but do not give it precedence over obedience to Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), for that takes precedence over all things.

29:9. As for those who believe and do righteous deeds. We will surely include them among the righteous.

That is, whoever believes in Allah and does righteous deeds, Allah has promised him that He will admit him to paradise among His righteous slaves, namely the Prophets, those who are strong and true in faith, the martyrs and the righteous, each one according to his level and status before Allah. Sound faith and righteous deeds indicate that a person is blessed and that he is one of the people of the Most Gracious, the righteous slaves of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

29:10. There are some people who say: We believe in Allah, but when they are made to suffer in Allah’s cause, they equate the persecution of people with the punishment of Allah. But if victory comes from your Lord, they say: We have always been with you! Does not Allah know best all that is in people’s hearts?

29:11. Allah will surely make known those who believe and He will surely make known those who are hypocrites.

Having stated that He will inevitably test those who claim to believe, in order to distinguish the sincere from the insincere, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) now explains that some people have no patience in bearing such tests, and they are not steadfast in the face of some calamities: ﴾There are some people who say: We believe in Allah, but when they are made to suffer in Allah’s cause'p by being beaten, or having theirwealth taken away, or being subjected to shaming, in order to make them recant their religion and go back to falsehood,

﴾they equate the persecution of people with the punishment of Allah﴿ that is, they make that a deterrent to faith and steadfastness, as suffering will deter a person from the cause thereof.

﴾But if victory comes from your Lord, they say: We have always been with you! p because that is in accordance with their whims and desires. These types of people are among those of whom Allah says:

Among people there are some who worship Allah on the edge [of faith]. If something good comes to them, they are content with it, but if a trial befalls them, they make an about-face, thus forfeiting both this world and the hereafter. That is indeed manifest loss.﴿ (al-Hajj22: II)

﴾Does not Allah know best all that is in people’s hearts?﴿ for He has told you about this type of people who are as He has described to you, so that you may come to know thereby of His perfect knowledge and vast wisdom.

﴾Allah will surely make known those who believe and He will surely make known those who are hypocrites﴿ therefore He has decreed tests and trials, so that what He already knows about them may be made manifest, then He will requite them for the deeds that they manifest, not simply on the basis of His knowledge alone, because in that case they might argue with Him, saying that if they had been tested, they would have been steadfast.

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29:12. The disbelievers say to the believers: Follow our path, and we will bear the burden of your sins. But they will never bear any of their sins. They are surely lying.

29:13. They will surely bear their own burdens, and other burdens along with their own, and on the Day of Resurrection they will surely be questioned about the lies they fabricated.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us about the fabrication of lies by the disbelievers and how they call the believers to follow their religion. This is an implicit warning to the believers against being deceived by them and falling into their trap.

﴾The disbelievers say to the believers: Follow our path﴿ and give up your religion, or part of it, and follow us in our religion, and we will give you our guarantee

﴾and we will bear the burden of your sins﴿. But this is something that is not in their power to do. Hence Allah says:

﴾But they will never bear any of their sins﴿, whether few or many. This is impossible, even if the individual agrees to it, so it will not avail anything. Rather that has to do with the dues of Allah, and Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has not given power to anyone to decide about any shortfall in what is due to Him. The matter can only be dealt with in accordance with His command, rulings and wisdom, and His ruling is that:

﴾...no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another...﴿ (al-An am 6: 164)

As Allah says: 6f But they will never bear any of their sins﴿, it may be misunderstood that the disbelievers who promote their disbelief— and others of their ilk who call to falsehood - will not have to carry any burden of sin except their own, excluding the sins that others did, even if they were the cause of that. Hence Allah says, addressing this misunderstanding:

﴾They will surely bear their own burdens﴿ that is, the burden of the sins that they committed﴾and other burdens along with their own﴿ - this refers to the sins that were committed because of them. For each sin committed by the follower, both the follower and the one whom he followed will have a share of it, the follower because he himself did it and the one whom he followed because he was the cause of his doing it and he called him to do it. By the same token, if the follower does a good deed, he will have the reward for doing it himself, and the one who called him to it will have a reward for being the cause of it.

﴾and on the Day of Resurrection they will surely be questioned about the lies they fabricated﴿ of evil, which they made fair-seeming, and their claim when they said: ﴾fand we will bear the burden of your

29:14. We sent Nooh to his people and he remained among them for a thousand years less fifty. Then the Flood overtook them in the midst of their evildoing.

29:15. But We saved him and those who were on board the ark, and We made it [the ark] a sign for all people.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us of His ruling and wisdom in punishing the disbelieving nations. Allah sent His slave and Messenger Nooh (عليه السلام) to his people, to call them to affirm His oneness and worship Allah alone, and to forbid them to worship the rivals and idols.

﴾and he remained among them﴿ as a Prophet, calling them to Allah t°(for a thousand years less fifty﴿ during which he never spared any effort in calling them, and he never tired of advising them and callingthem by night and by day, in private and in public. But they did not pay heed and they did not follow guidance; rather they persisted in their disbelief and transgression, until their Prophet Nooh (عليه السلام) prayed against them, even though he was so patient, forbearing and steadfast, and he said:

((...My Lord, do not leave on earth a single living soul from among the disbelievers.﴿ (Nooh 71: 26)

﴾Then the Flood﴿ that is, the water that was sent down from the sky in abundance, and gushed forth from the earth ﴾overtook them in the midst of their evildoing﴿ when they were deserving of punishment.

﴾But We saved him and those who were on board the ark﴿ that is, those who had embarked with him, namely his family and those who believed with him

﴾and We made it [the ark]﴿ or the story of Nooh ﴾a sign for all people﴿ so that they may learn a lesson from it, that whoever rejects the Messengers will ultimately be doomed, but Allah will grant the believers relief from all distress and a way out from all hardship.

Allah also made ships in general a sign for all people, from which they may learn of the mercy of their Lord, Who has granted them the means to make ships and benefit from them, and He has made them to carry them and their goods from one place to another, and from one country to another.

29:16. And [remember] Ibraheem, when he said to his people: Worship Allah [alone] and fear Him; that is better for you, if only you knew.

29:17. Those that you worship besides Allah are mere idols, and you fabricate lies. Verily those whom you worship besides Allah have no power to grant you provision. So seek provision from Allah, worship Him [alone] and be grateful to Him; for to Him you will be brought back.

29:18. If you reject [the message], other nations before you did likewise. The duty of the Messenger is only to convey the message in the clearest way.

29:19. Do they not see how Allah originates creation? Then He will repeat it.^{1This refers to the Day of Resurrection.} Verily that is easy for Allah.

29:20. Say: Travel through the land and see how Allah originated creation. Then Allah will repeat that a second time. Verily Allah has power over all things.

29:21. He punishes whomever He will and shows mercy to whomever He will, and to Him you will be returned.

29:22. You can never escape [Allah’s punishment] on earth or in heaven, and besides Him you have neither protector nor helper.

29:23. Those who deny the signs of Allah and the meeting with Him [in the hereafter] - it is they who will have no hope of My mercy and for them there will be a painful punishment.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us that He sent His close friend Ibraheem to his people, to call them to Allah, so he said to them: ﴾-(Worship Allah [alone]﴿,﴿ that is, affirm His oneness, devote your worship to Him alone, and obey whatever He commands you to do ﴾and fear Him﴿ lest He become angry with you and punish you; that means refraining from acts of disobedience that incur His wrath ﴾that﴿ namely worshipping Allah and fearing Him ﴾is better for you﴿ than not doing so.

There is nothing good whatsoever in failing to worship Allah and fear Him; rather fearing Allah and worshipping Him is best for people, because there is no way to attain His reward in this world and the hereafter except by doing that. All goodness that exists in this world and the hereafter is the outcome of worshipping Allah and fearing Him.

﴾if only you knew﴿ that, so you should understand the reality of things and realise what is more deserving of being given precedence.

Having instructed them to worship Allah and fear Him, Ibraheem then forbade them to worship idols, and explained to them that the idols were imperfect and were not deserving of worship:

﴾Those that you worship besides Allah are mere idols, and you fabricate lies﴿, for you carve them and make them with your own hands, and you make up names of gods for them and fabricate lies by enjoining worship of them and adhering to that

﴾Verily those whom you worship besides Allah﴿ because they are imperfect and there is nothing to justify worshipping them, ﴾have nopower to grant you provision﴿. It is as if it was said: It has become clear to us that these idols are created and imperfect, and they have no power to bring benefit or cause harm, or to cause death, give life or resurrect, and one who is like that does not deserve even the tiniest speck of worship and devotion. Hearts have a strong inclination to seek an object of worship to be devoted to and ask of it whatever they need. So Ibraheem said, urging them to turn to the One Who is truly deserving of worship: ﴾So seek provision from Allah﴿ for He is the One Who provides it and decrees it, and He is the One Who answers the call of the one who calls upon Him with regard to his religious and worldly affairs.

worship Him [alone]with no partner or associate, because He is the Most Perfect, Who brings benefit and causes harm, the only One Who has control over all things

﴾and be grateful to Him﴿ alone, because everything that reached and still reaches people of blessings is from Him, and everything that was warded off and is still warded off from them of harm is only warded off by Him.

﴾for to Him you will be brought back﴿ and He will requite you for your deeds and tell you of all that you concealed or disclosed. So beware lest you come to Him when you are ascribing partners to Him, and focus on that which will bring you closer to Him, and He will reward you for that when you come to Him.

﴾Do they not see how Allah originates creation? Then He will repeat it﴿ on the Day of Resurrection. Verily that is easy for Allah﴿. This is like the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾lt is He Who originates creation then repeats it, and that is [even] easier for Him.. .b (ar-Room 30: 27)

﴾Say﴿ to them, if they have any doubts about the origination of creation:

﴾Travel through the land﴿ physically, and reflect in your hearts﴾and see how Allah originated creation﴿ for you will find communities of humans and animals still coming into being gradually; you will find plants and trees, and how they come into being time after time; you will find the clouds and the winds continually being renewed. In fact creation is always beginning and being repeated.

Look at them at the time of their lesser death - that is, sleep - when the night covers them with its darkness and their movements become still and their voices become silent, and in their beds and dens they become like the dead. Then they remain like that all night long, until dawn breaks and they wake up from their sleep and are raised from their lesser death, whereupon they say: “Praise be to Allah Who has brought us back to life after causing us to die, and to Him we will be resurrected.” Hence Allah says:

﴾Then﴿ after repeating that, ﴾Allah will repeat that a second time﴿ - that will be the resurrection after which they will no longer be susceptible to death or sleep; rather it will be eternal life in either paradise or hell.

﴾Verily Allah has power over all things﴿ and nothing is beyond His power. As He was able, by means of His power, to initiate creation, it is more appropriate to say that He has the power to repeat it.

﴾He punishes whomever He will and shows mercy to whomever He will﴿ that is. He alone requites for deeds, rewarding and showing mercy to those who obey Him, and punishing and wreaking vengeance upon those who disobey Him.

t﴾fand to Him you will be returned﴿ that is, you will be returned to that realm where you will be subjected to punishment or mercy, so seek in this realm that which will be the cause of His mercy, by doing acts of obedience, and keep away from that which will be the cause of His wrath, namely acts of disobedience.

﴾You can never escape [Allah’s punishment] on earth or in heaven﴿ that is, O disbelievers who dare to disobey Allah, do notthink that you are overlooked or that you can escape Allah on earth or in heaven, and do not be deceived by your power or that which your own souls make fair-seeming to you and deceive you thereby, by suggesting that you will be saved from the punishment of Allah. For you cannot escape Allah in any part of the universe.

﴾and besides Him you have neither protector﴿ to protect you and take care of you so that you attain what is in your religious and worldly interests

﴾nor helper﴿ to help you and ward off harm from you.

﴾Those who deny the signs of Allah and the meeting with Him [in the hereafter] - it is they who will have no hope of My mercy and for them there will be a painful punishment﴿. Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us who are the people who will attain nothing good and will encounter what is bad. They are the ones who disbelieved in Him and His Messengers, and the message that they brought, and they denied the meeting with Allah. They will have nothing but this world, therefore they did what they did of ascribing partners to Allah and committing sin, because there is nothing in their hearts to make them fear the consequences of that. Hence Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾it is they who will have no hope of My mercy﴿, therefore they did not take a single measure to attain mercy. Otherwise, if they had hoped for mercy, they would have striven to attain it. Despairing of the mercy of Allah is one of the gravest of errors, and it is of two types:

• The despair of the disbelievers, who failed to take any measures to approach it

• The despair of the sinners because of their many transgressions; that makes them feel alienated from Allah and overwhelms their hearts, which causes them to lose hope of His mercy.

﴾and for them there will be a painful punishment﴿ that is, an agonising punishment. It is as if these verses are inserted between the words of Ibraheem (^50 to his people, and their response to him. And Allah knows best about that.

29:24. But the only response his [Ibraheem’s] people gave was to say: Kill him or burn him. But Allah saved him from the fire. Verily in that are signs for people who believe.

29:25. Ibraheem said: You have only taken idols [for worship] instead of Allah to cement the bonds among you in the life of this world, but on the Day of Resurrection you will disavow one another and curse one another. Your abode will be the fire, and you will have no helpers.

That is, the response of Ibraheem’s people to him, when he called them to his Lord, was not acceptance of his call, following his advice or recognising the blessing that Allah had bestowed upon them by sending him to them. Rather their response to him was the worst of responses.

﴾But the only response his [IbraheenYs] people gave was to say: Kill him or bum him﴿, which is the worst kind of killing. They were people who had the power to carry out that threat, because they had authority. So they threw him into the fire, ﴾But Allah saved him﴿ from it.

﴾Verily in that are signs for people who believe﴿ and know that what the Messengers brought is true, and they know how kind and sincere the Messengers were, and how false were the words ot those who opposed them and went against them. It is as if those whoopposed the Messengers had all agreed and enjoined one another to disbelieve and reject the Messengers (because they all responded in the same manner).

﴾Ibraheem said﴿ to them, among other advice that he gave: ﴾You have only taken idols [for worship] instead of Allah to cement the bonds among you in the life of this world﴿ that is, all that you achieved by that is some worldly bonds that will be severed and will vanish

﴾but on the Day of Resurrection you will disavow one another and curse one another﴿ that is, both the worshippers and their objects of worship will disavow one another.

﴾When humankind are gathered [on the Day of Resurrection], they will become their enemies and will reject their worship of them.﴿

So how can you be attached to that which you know will disavow and curse its worshippers?

﴾Your abode﴿ that is, the abode of all, both worshippers and objects of worship

﴾will be the fire﴿ and no one will protect them from the punishment of Allah, or ward it off from them.

29:26. Loot believed in him. Ibraheem said: I shall migrate [where I have been commanded to] by my Lord. Verily He is the Almighty, Most Wise.

29:27. We bestowed upon him Is-haq and Ya‘qoob, and conferred upon his descendants prophethood and the scriptures. We granted him his reward in this world, and in the hereafter he will be among the righteous.

That is, Ibraheem (عليه السلام) kept calling his people, and they persisted in their stubbornness, but Loot believed in him, whom Allah appointed as a Prophet and sent him to his people, as we shall see below.

﴾Ibraheem said﴿ when he saw that his call to his people was of no avail, e(I shall migrate [where I have been commanded to] by my Lord﴿ that is, I shall leave the land of evil and migrate to the blessed land, namely ash-Sham (Greater Syria).

﴾Verily He is the Almighty﴿ that is, the One Who has all power and is able to guide you, but He is ﴾Most Wise﴿, and His wisdom did not dictate that. Ibraheem left them when they were the same as ever, but Allah does not tell us that He destroyed them with any punishment; rather He tells us that Ibraheem left them and migrated elsewhere.

With regard to what is mentioned in the Isra’eeliyat (stories narrated from Jewish sources), that Allah sent punishment upon his people in the form of mosquitoes which drank their blood and ate their flesh, and destroyed them to the last man, certainty about that would depend on shar'i evidence, of which there is none. If Allah had eradicated them all by means of the punishment. He would have mentioned that as He mentioned the destruction of other disbelieving nations.

Perhaps the reason why they were not destroyed is that Ibraheem (عليه السلام), who was one of the most compassionate, virtuous, forbearing and noble of all people, did not pray against his people as others did, and therefore there was no wholesale divine punishment because of him.

One of the matters which may indicate that is the fact that he disputed and argued with the angels concerning the destruction of Loot’s people, and tried to defend them, although they were not his people. And Allah knows best what really happened.

﴾(We bestowed upon him Is-haq and Ya‘qoob﴿ that is, after he migrated to ash-Sham ﴾and conferred upon his descendants prophethood and the scriptures﴿. No Prophet came after him but he was descended from him, and no scripture was revealed to anyone but his descendants, until prophethood ended with Muhammad (ﷺ).

This is one of Ibraheem’s greatest virtues, that guidance, mercy, blessing and prosperity were bestowed upon his descendants, and at their hands people would be guided, believe and become righteous. ﴾We granted him his reward in this world﴿, such as a wife who was extremely beautiful, abundant provision, and children who were a source of joy to him; and knowing, loving and turning to Allah, tfand in the hereafter he will be among the righteous﴿. Indeed he and Muhammad (ﷺ) will be among the best of the righteous, and the highest in status. Thus Allah granted him happiness both in this world and in the hereafter.

29:28. And [remember] Loot, when he said to his people: Verily you commit this shameful deed that no one in the world has ever committed before you.

29:29. Do you approach men with lust, waylay travellers on the road, and commit shameful acts in your meeting places? But the only response his people gave was to say: Bring us the punishment of Allah, if you are telling the truth.

29:30. He said: O my Lord, help me against those who spread mischief.

29:31. When Our messengers [angels] came to Ibraheem with glad tidings, they said: We are going to destroy the people of this city, for they have indeed been persisting in wickedness.

29:32. He said: But Loot is there! They said: We know full well who is there. We will surely save him and his family, except his wife; she is one of those who will stay behind.

29:33. When Our messengers came to Loot, he was perturbed by their coming and felt troubled on their account. They said: Fear not nor grieve, for we will surely save you and your family, except your wife; she is one of those who will stay behind.

29:34. We are going to bring down on the people of this city a punishment from heaven, because of their defiant disobedience.

29:35. Surely the ruins We left of that city are a clear sign for people of understanding.

We have seen above that Loot ) believed in Ibraheem and was one of those who were guided by him. Some say that he was not oneof the descendants of Ibraheem; rather he was his nephew (the son of his brother). If the words sfand conferred upon his descendants prophethood and the scriptures﴿ (29: 27) are general in meaning, that does not contradict the fact that Loot was a Prophet and Messenger, even though he was not one of the progeny of Ibraheem, because the context of the verse is one of praising Ibraheem. Allah tells us that Loot was guided at the hands of Ibraheem, and the one who was guided at his hands is of higher standing than those of his progeny who were guided, when taking into consideration the virtue of the guide. And Allah knows best.

Allah sent Loot to his people, who alongside their ascription of partners to Allah had combined immoral deeds with males, banditry and committing shameful acts in their gatherings. Loot advised them to give up these things and explained to them that they were abhorrent in and of themselves and because of what they lead to of severe punishment. But they were not deterred and did not pay heed: *(But the only response his people gave was to say: Bring us the punishment of Allah, if you are telling the truth﴿.

So their Prophet despaired of them and realised that they were deserving of punishment; he was very annoyed at their total rejection and prayed against them: ﴾He said: O my Lord, help me against those who spread mischief﴿. Allah responded to his supplication: He sent the angels to destroy them, and they passed by Ibraheem before that and gave him the glad tidings of Is-haq and, after Is-haq, Yafcqoob.

Then Ibraheem asked them: Where are you going? And they told him that they were going to destroy the people of Loot. Ibraheem began to argue with them, saying: ﴾But Loot is there!﴿ They said to him: ﴾fWe know full well who is there. We will surely save him and his family, except his wife; she is one of those who will stay behind﴿. Then they went on their way, and when they came to Loot, he was perturbed by their coming and felt troubled on their account, because he did not know who they were; he thought that they were wayfarersand guests, so he feared that they might be harmed by his people. But they said to him: ﴾Fear not nor grieve﴿, and they told him that they were messengers from Allah: ﴾for we will surely save you and your family, except your wife; she is one of those who will stay behind. We are going to bring down on the people of this city a punishment from heaven, because of their defiant disobedience﴿. They instructed him to leave at night, with his family, then when morning came Allah turned their houses upside down on them and sent upon them a shower of stones of baked clay, one after another, until they destroyed them and they became a tale to be told at night and a lesson.

﴾Surely the ruins We left of that city are a clear sign for people of understanding﴿ that is, We left a clear trace of the dwellings of the people of Loot for people of understanding to learn lessons from them and benefit thereby. This is like the verses in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾Surely you pass by their ruins by day and by night. Will you not then understand?﴿ (as-Saffat 37: 137-138)

29:36. To Madyan We sent their brother Shu'ayb. He said: O my people, worship Allah and expect the Last Day, and do not strive to spread mischief in the land.

29:37. But they rejected him. So an earthquake overtook them, and morning found them lying lifeless in their homes.

That is, and We also sent to Madyan, the well-known tribe, ﴾Shu‘ayb﴿, to command them to worship Allah alone, with no partneror associate, and to believe in the resurrection, hope for it and strive for it; and to forbid them to spread mischief in the land, cheat in weights and measures, or to strive in banditry. But they rejected him, so the punishment of Allah overtook them, ﴾and morning found them lying lifeless in their homes﴿.

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29:38. And [We also punished] fcAd and Thamood, as is clear to you from the ruins of their dwellings. The Shaytan made their deeds fair-seeming to them and barred them from the right path, even though they were intelligent people.

29:39. And [We also punished] Qaroon, Pharaoh and Haman. Moosa came to them with clear signs, but they showed arrogance in the land. They could not outwit [Us].

29:40. Each of them We punished for their sin: against some of them We sent a violent squall of pebbles, some were overtaken by the blast, some We caused the earth to swallow, and some We drowned. It was not Allah Who wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.

That is. We did likewise to ‘Ad and Thamood. You know their stories, and that is clear to you from some of what you see with your own eyes of their dwellings and ruins that they left behind. Their Messengers came to them with clear signs for those who would pay heed, but they rejected them and argued with them.

﴾The Shaytan made their deeds fair-seeming to them﴿ so that they thought that they were better than the Messengers who came to them, as did Qaroon, Pharaoh and Haman, when Allah sent Moosa ibn ‘Imran to them with clear signs and definitive proof, but they did not submit; they behaved arrogantly in the land towards the slaves of Allah and humiliated them, and towards the truth, which they rejected. But they could not save themselves when the punishment came upon them, and ﴾They could not outwit﴿ Allah. They could not escape; rather they surrendered and submitted to the punishment.

(﴾Each of them﴿ that is, these disbelieving nations ﴾We punished for their sin﴿ that is. We sent upon them a punishment that was appropriate to their sin.

c﴾against some of them We sent a violent squall of pebbles﴿ that is, a strong wind that carried the pebbles, as in the case of the people of k Ad, when Allah sent against them the devastating wind:

﴾Which He unleashed against them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so that you would have seen the people lying lifeless as if they were the trunks of fallen palm trees.﴿ (al-Haqqah 69: 7)

﴾some were overtaken by the blast)) like the people of Salih ﴾some We caused the earth to swallow﴿, like Qaroon ﴾and some We drowned﴿ like Pharaoh and Haman and their troops.

﴾It was not Allah Who wronged them﴿ that is, it is not appropriate or befitting for Him to wrong them, because of His perfect justice and because He has no need whatsoever of any of His creation.

﴾but it was they who wronged themselves﴿ by depriving their souls of their rights that they were seeking, for they were created to worship Allah alone, but these people directed their souls in adifferent direction and distracted them with whims and desires and sins. Thus they did their souls serious harm when they thought that they were doing good.

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29:41. The likeness of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the spider that makes itself a house. Verily the flimsiest of houses is that of the spider, if only they knew.

29:42. Verily Allah knows what things they call upon besides Him, and He is the Almighty, Most Wise.

29:43. Such are the comparisons We set forth for humankind, but none understand them except those who have knowledge.

This is a likeness that Allah gives of those who worship others alongside Him, seeking thereby honour, strength and benefit, in order to explain that the outcome will be contrary to that which they seek to achieve. The likeness of such a person is that of the spider which makes a house to protect itself from heat, cold and dangers, but ﴾Verily the flimsiest﴿ that is, the weakest ﴾of houses is that of the spider﴿. The spider is one of the weakest of creatures, and its house is among the weakest of houses, and it only becomes weaker by building it. This is how those people are who take others besides Allah as allies: they are weak and incapable in all ways, and when they take these allies besides Allah, for the purpose of seeking honour and help fromthem, that only adds to their weakness, because they put their trust in them to achieve many of the goals that they seek to achieve, and they leave it to those allies; they stop striving to achieve it for themselves on the basis that those allies will take care of the matter for them, but the allies let them down, so they do not achieve any result through them and they do not get any help from them.

If they truly understood their situation and that of those whom they take as allies, they would not take them as allies; they would disavow them and take as their protector and ally the Powerful, Most Merciful Lord Who, if His slave takes Him as his protector and puts his trust in Him, He will suffice him and take care of all his needs, both spiritual and worldly, and He will increase him in strength, spiritually and physically.

Having explained how weak the gods of the polytheists were, Allah then went further than that, describing them in a more effective and eloquent manner, by suggesting that they were nothing; rather they were mere names that people fabricated, and ideas that they believed in. All that it takes is for the wise man to think about that and realise that they are false and non-existent. Hence Allah says:

﴾Verily Allah knows what things they call upon besides Him﴿ that is. He knows - for He is the knower of the unseen and the seen - that they are not calling, besides Him, upon anything that exists or upon any real god. This is like the verses in which He says:

﴾They are no more than names you have named, you and your forefathers, for which Allah has not sent down any authority... b (an-

- and:

((...Those who call upon their [so-called] partners besides Allah follow nothing but conjecture and they do nothing but lie.﴿ (Yoonus 10: 66)

﴾and He is the Almighty, Most Wise﴿ to Whom belongs all power, by which He has subjugated all creatures﴾Most Wise﴿, Who does what is appropriate. Who created all things well and Who does all things with precision.

﴾Such are the comparisons We set forth for humankind﴿ that is, for their sake and for their benefit, and to teach them, because they are ways of explaining knowledge; they make abstract ideas become clear by comparing them to something tangible, thus the intended meaning becomes clear because of this comparison. Hence it serves the interests of all people.

﴾but none understand them﴿ in the sense of comprehending them, reflecting upon them and understanding the point of this comparison, ﴾except those who have knowledge﴿ that is, the people of true knowledge, whose knowledge has indeed reached their hearts and who understand what they have learned.

This is praise for the comparisons that He gives, urging people to reflect upon them and understand them. It is also praise for those who understand the comparisons, and it is evidence that such people are indeed people of knowledge. Thus it is known that those who do not understand them do not have knowledge.

The reason for that is that the comparisons that Allah gives in the Qur’an have to do with important issues, sublime goals and noble ideas. Therefore the people of knowledge understand that they are more important than others, because Allah mentions them and urges His slaves to reflect on them and ponder their meanings, and do their utmost to understand them.

As for those who do not understand them, despite their importance, that indicates that they are not people of knowledge, because if they do not understand important issues, it is more likely that they will not understand other matters. Hence most of the likenesses that Allah gives have to do with the fundamentals of religion and other important matters.(it

29:44. Allah created the heavens and the earth for a true purpose. Surely in that there is a sign for the believers.

That is, Allah Bs) is the only One Who created the heavens, despite their great height, vastness and beauty, and all that they contain of the sun, moon, stars and angels; and He created the earth and all that it contains of mountains, seas, wilderness, deserts, trees and so on. He created that for a true purpose; in other words. He did not create it in vain or with no purpose and for no benefit. Rather He created that so that His command and law would be established, and so that His blessings upon His slaves would be perfected, so that they may see of His wisdom, might and control that which will show them that He alone is deserving of their worship, love and devotion.

﴾Surely in that there is a sign for the believers﴿ that points to many issues of faith by which, if the believer reflects upon that, he will increase in faith and certainty.

29:45. Recite what has been revealed to you [O Muhammad] of the Book, and establish prayer, for verily prayer keeps [one] away from obscenity and wickedness. And indeed your rememberingAllah is of greater merit [than other acts of worship]. And Allah knows all that you do.

Here Allah GJg) instructs us to recite His revelation, which is this great Book. What is meant by reciting it is following it, complying with what it enjoins, avoiding what it prohibits, following its guidance, believing its stories, pondering its meanings, and reciting its phrases. Reciting its words is just part of what is meant.

As this is what is meant by reciting the Book, it is known that establishing the entire religion is included in recitation of the Book. The words s﴾and establish prayer﴿ come under the heading of mentioning a specific part of the whole, because of the virtue and importance of the prayer, and the good effect of the prayer, for ﴾verily prayer keeps [one] away from obscenity and wickedness﴿. Obscenity is that which is regarded as grave and offensive of sins that one may desire and have the inclination to do. Wickedness refers to everything that is regarded as abhorrent and wrong on the basis of rational thinking and sound human nature.

The reason why prayer keeps one away from obscenity and wickedness is that if a person establishes prayer, fulfilling its essential parts and conditions, and focusing with proper humility, it will illuminate and purify his heart, increase him in faith, strengthen his desire to do good, and reduce or eliminate his desire to do evil. So praying regularly and persisting in praying in that manner will inevitably keep one away from obscenity and wickedness. This is one of the great aims and outcomes of prayer.

There is also another goal of prayer that is greater and more important than that, which is what the prayer involves of remembering Allah in one’s heart as well as verbally and physically. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) only created humankind to worship Him, and the best act of worship that people may perform is prayer, because in it all his faculties manifest servitude to Him, which is not the case with other acts of worship.Hence Allah says: ﴾And indeed your remembering Allah is of greater merit [than other acts of worship]﴿.

It may be that when Allah enjoined and praised prayer. He said that remembrance of Him outside of prayer is of greater merit than prayer, as is the view of the majority of commentators. But the first view is more likely to be correct, because prayer is better than remembrance of Allah outside of prayer, and because it - as mentioned above - in and of itself is one of the greatest forms of remembrance of Allah.

﴾And Allah knows all that you do﴿ of good and evil, and He will requite you for that in full.

29:46. Do not dispute with the People of the Book except in the most courteous manner, unless it be with those of them who transgress [against you]. And say: We believe in that which has been sent down to us, and in that which was sent down to you, for our God and your God is One, and to Him we submit [as Muslims].

Here Allah forbids disputing with the People of the Book if it is not based on proper knowledge of the people with whom one is arguing, or it is not based on some reasonable guidelines, and He instructs us not to dispute with them except in the most courteous manner, with a good attitude, kind and gentle speech, calling them to the truth and presenting it in the best manner, refuting falsehood and presenting it in a bad light, in the most straightforward manner. Theaim should not be mere argument and defeating one’s opponent, or love of prevailing in argument. Rather the aim should be to explain the truth and guide people.

However, in the case of those among the People of the Book who transgress, if it becomes apparent from the individual’s aim and situation that he has no desire to find out about the truth, and he is only arguing for the sake of causing trouble and trying to win the argument, then there is no benefit in disputing with him, because there is no purpose to be served thereby.

﴾And say: We believe in that which has been sent down to us, and in that which was sent down to you, for our God and your God is One﴿ that is, let your argument with the People of the Book be based on belief in what was sent down to you and what was sent down to them, and on belief in your Messenger and their Messenger, and on the fact that God is One. Do not frame your argument with them in such a way that it leads to you criticising any of the divinely-revealed Books or any of the Messengers, as the ignorant do when arguing, criticising everything that they have, whether it is right or wrong. This is unfair and is drifting away from the proper manners and etiquette of debate. What one should do is reject what one’s opponent has of falsehood and accept what he has of truth, and not reject the truth just because he said it, even if he is a disbeliever.

Moreover, basing the debate with the People of the Book on these guidelines will compel them to accept the Qur’an and the Messenger (ﷺ) who brought it, because if he speaks of the religious fundamentals on which all the Prophets and Books are agreed, which are established in the minds of both sides, and they both agree on them and believe in them as established facts, and the previous Books and Messengers - including the Qur’an and Muhammad (ﷺ) - explained them, preached them and told the people about them, then this will compel them to believe in all the Books and all the Messengers. This is something that is unique to Islam.

As for the idea that we believe in what it says in one particular Book, but not another Book, when the other Book confirms what is mentioned in the previous Book, this is unfair and wrong, and it results in rejecting all of them, because if a person rejects the Qur’an, which speaks of the same fundamentals and confirms what came before it of the Torah, then he will be rejecting what he claims to believe in.

Moreover, no matter what argument is given to prove the prophethood of any Prophet, a similar or stronger argument would also prove the prophethood of Muhammad (ﷺ), and no matter what specious argument is offered to cast aspersions upon the prophethood of Muhammad a similar or stronger argument would cast aspersions on the prophethood of others. If an argument is proven to be flawed in the case of anyone else, then it is more so in the case of our Prophet (ﷺ).

﴾and to Him we submit [as Muslims]﴿ that is. We submit and yield to His command. Whoever believes in Him, takes Him as his god, believes in His Books and Messengers, submits to Allah and follows His Messengers, is the one who is blessed, and whoever goes astray from this path is the one who is doomed.

29:47. In like manner We have sent down the Book to you. Those to whom We gave the scripture believe in it, and some of these people [the People of the Book] also believe in it. And no one denies Our revelations except the disbelievers.

29:48. You were not able to read any book before this [Qur’an], nor were you able to write anything with your right hand. In that case the followers of falsehood would indeed have had cause to doubt.

﴾In like manner We have sent down the Book to you﴿, O Muhammad (ﷺ), namely this noble Book that foretells every great event, calls to all good characteristics and attitudes, enjoins everything that is perfect, confirms the previous Books, and was foretold by the earlier Prophets.

﴾Those to whom We gave the scripture﴿ and they acknowledge it as it should be acknowledged, and are not affected by jealousy or whims and desires

﴾believe in iti﴿ because they are certain that it is true, because of what they see of it being in harmony with what they have of prophecies and what they are distinguished by of knowledge of what is good and bad, true and false.

﴾and some of these people [the People of the Book]﴿ at the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ﴾also believe in itb with faith based on insight.

﴾And no one denies Our revelations except the disbelievers﴿ who persistently deny the truth and stubbornly reject it. This states that only the disbelievers reject His revelation, because rejection cannot come from one whose aim is to follow the truth. Otherwise, anyone with good intentions will inevitably believe in it, because of what it contains of clear proofs for anyone who has sound reason or who pays heed.

One of the indications that it is sound is the fact that it was brought by this trustworthy Prophet (ﷺ), who was known among his people for his sincerity and honesty, and they were aware of all his comings and goings and all his circumstances. They knew that he was unlettered and could not read or write. The fact that he brought it against thisbackground is one of the clearest of proofs which leaves no room for any doubt that it is from Allah, the Almighty, the Most Praiseworthy. Hence He says:

﴾You were not able to read any book before this [Qur'an], nor were you able to write anything with your right hand﴿. If that had been the case, ﴾the followers of falsehood would indeed have had cause to doubt﴿ for they would have said that he had learned it from the previous scriptures or had copied it from them.

But a noble Book was revealed to you, with which you challenged the eloquent and bitter enemies to produce something like it, or even a soorah like it, yet they failed utterly and in fact never even thought of meeting the challenge, because they knew how eloquent it was, and that the words of any human could never match it or be in the same style. Therefore Allah says:

29:49. Rather it [the Qur’an] is clear verses preserved in the hearts of those who have been given knowledge. And no one denies Our revelations except the wrongdoers.

﴾Rather it [the Qur’an] is clear﴿, not ambiguous ﴾verses preserved in the hearts of those who have been given knowledge﴿ - they are the leaders of people, and the foremost in rational thinking, people of sound reasoning and the perfect ones among them.

Because it is clear verses preserved in the hearts of people such as these, it is proof against others, and the rejection of others does not matter and cannot be anything but wrongdoing. Hence Allah says:﴾And no one denies Our revelations except the wrongdoers﴿, because no one denies it except one who is ignorant and speaks without knowledge, and does not follow in the footsteps of the people of knowledge or those who are well-versed in it and know its real nature, or he is acting in an ignorant manner, stubbornly rejecting it and going against it even though he knows it is true.

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29:50. They say: Why have no signs been sent down to him from his Lord? Say [O Muhammad]: Signs are in the power of Allah alone. I am but a clear warner.

29:51. Is it not enough for them that We have sent down to you the Book [Qur’an] which is recited to them? Verily in that is mercy and a reminder for people who believe.

29:52. Say: Allah is sufficient between me and you as a witness. He knows all that is in the heavens and on earth. Those who believe in falsehood and disbelieve in Allah, it is they who are the losers.

These wrongdoers, who disbelieved in the Messenger and what he brought, objected and demanded that specific signs be sent down to him. This is like when they said:

sf... We will never believe in you until you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us.﴿ (al-Isra' 17: 90)

The choice of specific signs is not up to them or the Messenger (ﷺ); such a demand is trying to interfere with that which is for Allah alone to decide. As that is the case, no one has any say in the matter. Hence Allah says:

﴾Say [O Muhammad]: Signs are in the power of Allah alone﴿ - and He sends them down or withholds them according to His will ﴾I am but a clear warner﴿ and I have no status greater than that.

If the aim is to differentiate between truth and falsehood, then once this aim has been achieved - by any method - demanding specific signs, after it has been achieved by other means, constitutes wrongdoing, transgression and arrogance towards Allah and towards the truth.

Even if it so happened that these signs were to be sent down, and they had the intention in their hearts that they would not believe in the truth except on the basis of those signs, that would not be true faith. Rather it would be something that coincided with their whims and desires, and therefore they believed. They would not have believed because it was the truth; rather it would have been because of those signs. So what benefit could be achieved by sending these signs, assuming that they could have been sent?

Because the aim was to highlight the truth, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) tells us of the way that leads to it:

﴾Is it not enough for them﴿, in order to know that you speak the truth and that what you bring is true

﴾that We have sent down to you the Book [Qur’an] which is recited to them?﴿ These are concise words in which there are many signs and proofs. As we mentioned above, for the Prophet (ﷺ) to bring this Book on its own, when he was unlettered, was one of the greatest signs of his sincerity and truthfulness.

Then their failure to produce something to match it, and the challenge to them in the Qur’an, is another sign. Moreover, the Qur’an appeared and was presented openly to them and was recited to them.and they were told that it came from Allah; the Messenger (ﷺ) presented it to them openly, at a time when he had few supporters and his opponents and enemies were many, yet he did not conceal it. That did not weaken his resolve; rather he presented it openly before all people and called all people to it, city-dwellers and desert-dwellers alike, saying: This is the word of my Lord.

Is anyone able to present something to match it, or utter words more beautiful than it? Then Allah tells us about the stories of earlier nations and stories of the past, and foretells matters of the future, and everything He said is exactly what happens. Moreover, it takes precedence over previous Books, confirming what is correct and rejecting distortions and alterations that have been introduced. It guides people to the straight path in what it commands and forbids, so it never enjoins anything of which reason might say: Would that it did not enjoin that, and it does not forbid anything of which reason might say: Would that it did not forbid that. Rather it is in accordance with what is just and proper, and is in accordance with the wisdom of those who have deep insight and understanding. Moreover its guidance and rulings are proven to be the best for every situation and every time, to the extent that people’s affairs cannot be in a good state except on the basis of it.

All of that offers sufficient evidence for anyone who really wants to believe in what is true and strives to seek truth. May he never be content, the one who is not content with the Qur’an, and may he never be healed, the one who is not healed by the Qur’an. Whoever is guided by it and is content with it, it is good for him. Hence Allah says:

﴾Verily in that is mercy and a reminder for people who believe﴿, because of what they find in it of abundant knowledge, much good, purification of hearts and souls, correction of belief, that which may perfect good manners and attitudes, and ways of understanding inspired by the divine.

e﴾Say: Allah is sufficient between me and you as a witness﴿ - so I call upon Him to bear witness, and if I am lying, may He send upon me a punishment that will become a lesson for you. But if it is the case that He is supporting me, helping me and making things easy for me, then let this great divine testimony suffice you. But if you think in your hearts that His testimony - even though you did not see or hear Him - is not sufficient, then you should realise that ﴾He knows all that is in the heavens and on earthy, and part of what He knows is my situation and yours, and what I am telling you. If I am attributing lies to Him - despite the fact that He knows that and is able to punish me - that would be undermining His knowledge, power and wisdom. This is like the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾flf he [Muhammad] had falsely attributed something to Us, We would surely have seized him by the right hand, then We would surely have severed his aorta.﴿ (al-Hdqqah 69. 44-46)

﴾Those who believe in falsehood and disbelieve in Allah, it is they who are the losers﴿ as they have lost out on belief in Allah, His angels. His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day, and they will miss out on eternal bliss, and what they believe in - instead of truth that is sound and correct - is everything false and abhorrent, and instead of bliss they will suffer every painful punishment. Thus they will lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection.

29:53. They ask you to hasten on the punishment. Had there not been an appointed time for it, the punishment would already have come upon them. It will surely come upon them suddenly, when they least expect it.

29:54. They ask you to hasten on the punishment, but verily hell will encompass the disbelievers,

29:55. on the day when the punishment will overwhelm them from above them and from beneath their feet, and it will be said: Taste [the punishment] for what you used to do!

Here Allah (jg) tells us about the ignorance of those who disbelieve in the Messenger (ﷺ) and the message he brought. They said, seeking to hasten the punishment and emphasising their disbelief:

﴾...When will this promise come to pass, if you speak the truth?﴿ ﴾Had there not been an appointed time for it﴿ that is, a time decreed for the punishment, that had not yet come ﴾the punishment would already have come upon them﴿ because of their attitude and attempts to outwit Us, and their rejection of the truth. If We were to bring them to account for their ignorance, then what they said would have hastened the punishment. But - despite that - they should not think that it is slow in coming, for it will surely come to them ﴾suddenly, when they least expect it﴿.

And it came to pass as Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) foretold. When they came to Badr, insolently boasting and thinking that they were able to achieve their goal, Allah humiliated them, killing their senior figures and most of their evil ones. He did not leave any household among them but that calamity struck them. Thus the punishment came upon them from where they did not expect, and it befell them when they did not realise.

Moreover, even if no worldly punishment befell them, there lies ahead of them punishment in the hereafter, from which none of themwill be saved, whether punishment was hastened for them in this world or not.

﴾but verily hell will encompass the disbelievers﴿ and there is no way they can escape it or avert it. It will encompass them on all sides, just as their sins, evil deeds and disbelief encompass them. That will be the most severe punishment.

﴾fon the day when the punishment will overwhelm them from above them and from beneath their feet, and it will be said: Taste [the punishment] for what you used to do!﴿ The punishment is the consequence of your deeds, and the punishment will envelop you as disbelief and sins enveloped you.

29:56. O My slaves who believe, verily My earth is spacious, so worship Me alone.

29:57. Every soul will taste death, then to Us you will be brought back.

29:58. As for those who believe and do righteous deeds. We will surely lodge them in lofty dwellings in paradise, through which rivers flow, to abide therein forever. How excellent a reward for those who work [and strive]!

29:59. [They are those] who patiently persevere and put their trust in their Lord.

c:() My slaves who believe﴿ in Me and My Messenger (ﷺ)﴾verily My earth is spacious, so worship Me alone﴿. If you are unable to worship your Lord in one land, then leave it and travel to another land where worship is for Allah alone, for places where one may worship Allah are vast and spacious. The Lord is One, and death will inevitably befall you, then you will be brought back to your Lord and He will requite those who worshipped Him properly and combined faith with righteous deeds, by causing them to dwell in lofty abodes that contain all that their hearts could desire and all that could delight the eyes, and you will abide therein forever.

﴾How excellent﴿) those dwellings will be, in gardens of bliss, reward for those who work [and strive]﴿ for the sake of Allah.

﴾[They are those] who patiently persevere﴿ in their striving. Patience in worshipping Allah requires doing one’s utmost, putting all one’s energy into that and intensely fighting the Shaytan who calls them not to put the required effort into that.

Their trust in Him requires them to rely on Allah and think positively of Him, trusting Him to fulfil what they have resolved to do of good deeds. Allah mentions trust in Him, even though it is part of patience, because it is needed in every deed and in the resolve to refrain from all that one is enjoined to refrain from, and patience is not complete without it.

29:60. How many are the creatures that do not carry [or store] their own provision. It is Allah Who provides for them and for you, and He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

That is, the Creator has guaranteed the provision of all creatures, both the strong and the incapable. How many are ﴾the creatures﴿ on earth that are physically weak and lacking in intelligence ﴾that do not carry [or store] their own provision﴿; they do not carry anything and do not keep any provision with them, yet Allah keeps sending them provision at appropriate times.

﴾It is Allah Who provides for them and for you﴿ therefore all of you are dependent upon Allah, Who is in charge of your provision, as He created you and is in control of you.

﴾and He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing﴿ so nothing is hidden from Him and no creature dies for lack of provision because it is hidden from Him. This is like the verse in which Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says:

﴾There is no creature that lives on the earth but its sustenance is guaranteed by Allah. He knows its dwelling place and its resting place; all is [inscribed] in a clear record, p (Hood II: 6)

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29:61. If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, and made the sun and moon to be of service, they will surely say: Allah. Then how could they have gone so far astray?

29:62. Allah grants abundant provision to whomever He wills among His slaves, or gives it in scant measure. Verily Allah has knowledge of all things.

29:63. And if you ask them who sends down water from the sky and gives life thereby to the earth after its death, they will surely say: Allah. Say: Praise be to Allah. But most of them do not understand.

These verses establish proof against the polytheists who associate others with Allah in worship, so as to make them adhere to the implications of what they already affirm of the unity of divine Lordship. If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, and who sends down rain from the sky with which the earth is revived after its death, and in Whose Hand is the control of all things, ﴾they will surely say: Allah﴿ alone, and they will acknowledge that the idols and those whom they worship besides Allah are incapable of doing any of those things.

So their lies and fabrications are very strange indeed, as is the fact that they turn to those who they admitted are helpless and are not fit to control anything. You may conclude that they have no reason and that they are foolish and weak minded. Can you find anyone more lacking in reason and insight than one who comes to a rock or a grave and the like, knowing that it has no power to bring benefit, cause harm, create anything or grant provision, then he shows the utmost devotion to it, directing his worship to it and associating it with the Lord, the Creator and Provider, Who alone grants benefit or causes harm?

Say: praise be to Allah Who has made guidance distinct from misguidance, and has explained the falseness of the path of the polytheists, so that those who are guided may beware of it.

Say: praise be to Allah Who has created the upper and lower realms, and He controls them, grants provision to them and bestows abundance upon whomever He will and gives in scant measure to whomever He will, in accordance with His wisdom and knowledge of what is appropriate for His slaves.• 4 /‘

29:64. The life of this world is nothing but a distraction and play. Verily the life of the hereafter is the only true life, if only they knew.

29:65. When they board a ship, they call upon Allah, with sincere devotion to Him alone, but when He has delivered them safely to the shore, they ascribe partners to Him,

29:66. showing their ingratitude for what We have given them. Let them take their pleasure now, but they will soon know the consequences.

29:67. Do they not see that We have made [Makkah] a secure sanctuary, while people are being snatched away^{1This refers to being killed or captured in the constant raids that Arab tribes made on one another during the pre-Islamic period; Makkah, however, remained untouched by such violence.} from all around them? Will they then believe in falsehood and show ingratitude for the blessings of Allah?

29:68. Who does greater wrong than he who fabricates lies against Allah, or denies the truth when it comes to him? Is there not in hell an abode for the disbelievers?

29:69. As for those who strive hard in Our cause. We will surely guide them to Our paths, for verily Allah is with the doers of good.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) speaks of this world and the hereafter in a manner which implies that one should lose interest in this world and long for the hereafter.

﴾The life of this world isp in reality, ﴾nothing but a distraction and play﴿ which distracts people’s hearts and minds, because of what Allah has created in it of adornment, pleasures and desires that attract those whose hearts have turned away from the truth and that look attractive to the eyes of the negligent and give joy to souls whose main pursuit is falsehood. But it quickly passes and comes to an end, and the one who is in love with it will get nothing but sorrow, loss and regret.

The hereafter, on the other hand, is the abode of ﴾life﴿, that is, the perfect life, one of the characteristics of which is that people there will be physically strong, because their bodies and strength will be created for life, and everything will be available there that makes life perfect and brings pleasure and joy and fulfilment of physical desires, by way of food, drink, spouses and so on, such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it entered the mind of man.

﴾if only they knew﴿, they would not give precedence to this world over the hereafter, and if only they understood, they would not have lost interest in the abode of the only true life or been distracted by this abode of distraction and play. This indicates that those who have such knowledge must inevitably give precedence to the hereafter over this world, because of what they know about the nature of the two realms.

Then Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) proves the polytheists to be wrong on the basis that they show sincerity to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) alone at times of distress when travelling by sea, when they are tossed about by the waves and fear death. At that time they forsake the rivals and call sincerely upon Allah alone, with no partner or associate. But when the hardship is over and the One on Whom they called sincerely has delivered them safely to the shore, they associate with Him those who could not save them or grant them relief at the time of difficulty. Why do they notshow sincerity to Allah at times of both ease and hardship, so that they might truly be believers in Him, deserving of His reward and warding off His punishment?

But this ascription of partners to Allah, after We bestowed blessings upon them by saving them from the sea, reflects the consequences of their ingratitude for what We gave them, for they responded to that blessing with a bad attitude. So let them carry on enjoying this world in the manner of cattle, for they only care about food and fulfilment of their physical desires.

﴾but they will soon know the consequences﴿ when they depart this world for the hereafter, where they will feel deep regret and suffer the painful punishment.

Then Allah reminds them of His secure sanctuary, telling them that they are its people, enjoying its security and abundant provision, whilst the people all around them are being snatched away, filled with fear. Will they not worship the One Who has provided them with food lest they go hungry and saved them from fear?

Will they then believe in falsehood﴿ which is what they follow of ascribing partners to Allah, and false words and deeds ﴾fand show ingratitude for the blessings of Allah What is the matter with them? Have they lost their minds? For they prefer misguidance to guidance, falsehood to truth, doom to bliss, and they are the most misguided of people.

﴾Who does greater wrong than he who fabricates lies against Allah thus attributing what he follows of misguidance and falsehood to Him,

﴾for denies the truth when it comes to him﴿ at the hands of Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad (ﷺ).

But ahead of this stubborn wrongdoer, there lies hell: ﴾Is there not in hell an abode for the disbelievers?﴿ where the score will besettled with them and they will be disgraced; it will be their eternal abode, from which they will never depart.

﴾As for those who strive hard in Our caused - this refers to those who migrated in Allah’s cause, strove in jihad against their enemies and did their utmost to follow the path that would earn His pleasure ﴾We will surely guide them to Our paths﴿ that is, that paths that lead to Us, because they are doers of good.

﴾for verily Allah is with the doers of good﴿; He gives them help, support and guidance. This indicates that the most likely of people to be in accordance with what is right are the people of jihad, and that whoever does well in doing what he is commanded to do, Allah will help him and make means of guidance available to him; whoever strives hard to seek Islamic knowledge, will attain guidance and divine help to achieve his goals to an extent that goes beyond his efforts. Learning will be made easy for him, because seeking Islamic knowledge comes under the heading of jihad in the cause of Allah; in fact it is one of the two types of jihad, that is not undertaken by any but the elite of humankind, namely verbal jihad against the disbelievers and hypocrites, and jihad in the sense of teaching people about religion and refuting the arguments of those who drift away from the truth, even if they are Muslims.

This is the end of the commentary on Soorat al-k Ankaboot.

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.