36:1. YaSeen.^{1Groups of letters (al-huroof al-muqatta ‘ah) 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}

36:2. By the Qur’an, full of wisdom,

36:3. verily you [O Muhammad] are indeed one of the Messengers,

36:4. [and you are] on a straight path.

36:5. [This Qur’an is] a revelation sent down by the Almighty, the Most Merciful,

36:6. So that you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, hence they are unaware.

36:7. The decree [of punishment] is inevitable for most of them, for they will never believe.^{2The punishment is inevitable for those people, as Allah knows that they will die in a state of disbelief. (al-Qurtubi; at-Tabari)}

36:8. Verily [it is as if] We have placed iron collars around their necks, right up to their chins, so that their heads are forced up.^{3The description of their heads being forced up by the collar indicates that their attitude is one that may be described as stiff-necked: they will not yield and submit to guidance.}

36:9. We have placed a barrier in front of them and a barrier behind them, blocking their vision so that they cannot see.

36:10. It is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.

36:11. You can only warn those who follow the Reminder [the Qur’an] and fear the Most Gracious unseen. So give them the glad tidings of forgiveness and a generous reward.

36:12. Verily it is We Who will give life to the dead. We record what they send forth and what they leave behind,^{4What they leave behind: this refers to things that people leave behind that may benefit others, such as a book of knowledge, a waqf (Islamic endowment) or a good precedent; or what they leave behind that may have a negative impact on others, such as books promoting misguidance =} and We keep an account of all things in a clear Book.

they were not revealed in vain, and that there is wisdom behind them of which we are not aware.

Here Allah swears an oath by the Qur’an, full of wisdom, meaning that it puts everything in its right place, and gives commands and prohibitions for clear reasons in an appropriate context, and it describes the requital for good or evil as is appropriate, in the right context. So its commands and prohibitions, and its criminal code, which dictates requital and punishment, are based on utmost wisdom.

One way in which the wisdom of this Qur’an is manifested is that it mentions together the ruling and the wisdom behind it, thus drawing the attention of rational people to the context and the circumstances that led to the determination of that ruling concerning the matter.

﴾verily you [O Muhammad] are indeed one of the Messengers﴿. This is the fact concerning which the oath is sworn, namely the message of Muhammad (ﷺ). In other words, you (O Muhammad are one of the Messengers, so you are not without precedent among the Messengers. Moreover, you have brought the same message as the other Messengers brought, in terms of basic religious principles.

Furthermore, anyone who reflects upon the character and description of the Messengers, and understands the difference between them and others, will realise that you are one of the best of the Messengers, because of the perfect qualities and virtuous characteristics that you possess.

The connection between the object by which the oath is sworn, namely the Qur’an full of wisdom, and the thing that is confirmed by the oath, namely the message of the Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ), is not hidden. If there was nothing to confirm his message and no witness to testify to it except this Qur’an full of wisdom, that would have been sufficient evidence and testimony to the validity of the message of Muhammad (ﷺ). Indeed the holy Qur’an is the strongest evidence that has remained down throughout the ages, of the truth of

= and innovation, setting a bad precedent, or devising unjust rules and regulations that continue to be carried out on people.the message of the Messenger (ﷺ). All the evidence of the Qur’an is evidence that supports the message of Muhammad (ﷺ).

Then Allah tells us of the greatest characteristic of the Messenger (ﷺ), which supports his message, namely the fact that he is ﴾fon a straight path﴿, a moderate path that leads to Allah and to His paradise. That straight path includes deeds, which are righteous deeds that rectify one’s condition both spiritually and physically, and lead to the best outcome in this world and the hereafter, and virtuous characteristics that purify one’s soul and bring reward. This is the straight path which is the description of the Messenger (ﷺ) and of the religion that he brought. So reflect upon the majestic nature of this noble Qur’an, and how it combines swearing by the most honourable of things to confirm the most honourable thing to which one may swear (namely the truth of the Prophet’s message). Allah’s words alone are sufficient, but He established clear proof and definitive evidence in this context in order to prove the soundness of the thing He swore this oath to confirm, namely the truth of the message of His Messenger

This straight path is ﴾a revelation sent down by the Almighty, the Most Merciful﴿. The Book was revealed to describe and call people to the straight path, and was revealed to show the way by which His slaves may reach Him. So He protected it by His might from change and alteration, and by means of it He granted mercy to His slaves that would stay with them until it brings them to the realm of His mercy (namely paradise).

Hence the verse ends with these two divine names, the Almighty, the Most Merciful.

Having sworn to the truth of His message and established proof for it, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) now speaks of the great need for it and the necessity thereof.

So that you may warn a people whose forefathers were not warned, hence they are unaware﴿; they had remained without any scripturesand had received no Messengers. They had been overwhelmed by ignorance and were submerged in misguidance, and they had become a laughing stock to all other people because of their foolishness. So Allah sent to them a Messenger from among themselves, to purify them, and to teach them the Book and wisdom, although before that they had been clearly misguided (cf 3 164). He came to warn the unlettered Arabs, and all other unlettered nations, and to remind the People of the Book of what they had of previous scriptures. It is a blessing that Allah bestowed upon the Arabs in particular, and upon others in general.

But after you (O Muhammad [3§|]) warned these people among whom you were sent, they divided into two categories, the first of which rejected the message he brought and did not pay heed to the warning. They are the ones of whom Allah says:

﴾The decree [of punishment] is inevitable for most of them, for they will never believe﴿ that is, the divine decree, which is inevitable, dictates that they will persist in their disbelief and ascription of partners to Allah; the decree only became inevitable concerning them after the truth was presented to them but they rejected it. Then they were punished by the sealing of their hearts.

Then Allah mentions the impediments that prevented faith from reaching their hearts:

﴾Verily [it is as if] We have placed iron collars around their necks﴿ and these iron collars that are around their necks are immense, reaching up to their chins and pushing their heads upwards ﴾so that their heads are forced up﴿ and they cannot lower them.

﴾We have placed a barrier in front of them and a barrier behind them﴿ that is, a barrier that prevents them from believing tfblocking their vision so that they cannot see﴿ because they have been overwhelmed by ignorance and doom on all sides, so the warning is of no avail for them.

﴾It is the same to them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe﴿ - how can a person believe when his heart has been sealed up and he sees truth as false and falsehood as true?

The second category of people are those who pay heed to the warning, whom Allah mentions in the following verse:

﴾You can only warn﴿ that is, the only ones who will benefit from your warning and pay heed to your advice are ﴾those who follow the Reminder [the Qur’an]﴿ that is, those whose aim is to follow the truth and what they are reminded of in the Qur’an ﴾and fear the Most Gracious unseen﴿ that is, it is those who have these two characteristics - good intentions in seeking the truth, and fear of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) - who will benefit from your message and will be purified by following your teachings. Whoever attains these two things, ﴾give them the glad tidings of forgiveness﴿ of their sins ﴾and a generous reward﴿ for their righteous deeds and good intentions.

﴾Verily it is We Who will give life to the dead﴿ that is. We will resurrect them after their death in order to requite them for their deeds ?[We record what they send forth﴿ of good or evil. This refers to the deeds that they do during their lifetimes ﴾and what they leave behind﴿ this refers to their legacy of good or evil, of which they were the cause during their lifetimes and after their deaths, the deeds that resulted from their words, actions and conduct. Every good deed that anyone does because of a person’s knowledge, teaching and advice, or because of his enjoining what is right or forbidding what is wrong, or because of knowledge that he taught to seekers of knowledge, or knowledge that he left behind in books from which people benefited during his life and after his death; or any good deed that he did, such as prayer, zakah, charity or acts of kindness, in which others followed his example; or any mosque that he built or any facilities that he set up from which people benefit, and so on, is among the legacy that he leaves behind, that is recorded for him. The same applies in the case of evil deeds. Hence:«Whoever sets a good precedent will have the reward thereof and a reward (equal to that of) those who act upon it until the Day of Resurrection; and whoever sets a bad precedent will have the burden of sin thereof and a burden of sin (equal to that of) those who act upon it until the Day of Resurrections (Muslim)

This highlights the high status of one who calls people to Allah and guides them to His path by all possible means, and the low status of one who calls people to evil and leads others therein; the latter is one of the worst of people, who is guilty of the worst crime and gravest sin.

﴾fand We keep an account of all things﴿, deeds, intentions and so on,

﴾)in a clear Book﴿ that is, a book that is the mother of all books, on which all other books that are in the hands of the angels are based,

36:13. Present to them the example of the people of the city when the Messengers came to it.

36:14. When We sent two Messengers to them, they rejected them, so We supported them with a third. They said: Verily we have been sent to you as Messengers.

36:15. The people said: You are but human beings like ourselves, and the Most Gracious has not sent down any revelation; you are simply lying.

36:16. They said: Our Lord knows that we have been sent to you as Messengers,

36:17. and our duty is only to convey the message in the clearest way.

36:18. The people said: We regard you as an evil omen. If you do not desist, we will surely stone you, and we will inflict a painful punishment on you.

36:19. They said: Your evil omen is with you [because of your disbelief]. [Are you saying this] because you have been admonished? You are indeed a people transgressing beyond all bounds.

36:20. A man came rushing from the farthest part of the city, and said: O my people, follow the Messengers.

36:21. Follow those who ask no recompense of you and who are rightly guided.

36:22. Why should I not worship Him Who created me and to Whom you will be brought back?

36:23. Should I take other gods besides Him? If the Most Gracious wills that some adversity should befall me, their intercession will not avail me at all, nor can they deliver me.

36:24. In that case I would indeed be clearly misguided.

36:25. Verily I believe in your Lord, so hear me.

36:26. It was said [to him]:^{1His people killed him and he was admitted to paradise. (ash-Shawkani)} Enter paradise. He said: Would that my people knew

36:27. how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honoured ones.

﴾Present to them the example of the people of the city when the Messengers came to it﴿ that is, give an example to these people who reject your message and your call, from which they may learn a lesson, and which may be an exhortation from which they may benefit if Allah so wills. That example is the people of the city and what happened to them of punishment when they rejected the Messengers of Allah. If there was any benefit in identifying the city in question, Allah would have identified it. Discussing that and similar issues comes under the heading of wasting time and effort, and speaking without knowledge. Hence if anyone speaks of such matters, you will find him speculating and saying confusing and contradictory things that do not lead to any conclusion. If you see anyone doing that, you should realise that the path to sound knowledge is to be content with the facts and turn away from discussing that which is of no benefit. Thus the seeker of knowledge will maintain purity of heart and his knowledge will increase. This is in contrast to the ignorant person who thinks that his knowledge will increase by referring to views and ideas that have no basis or proof and are of no benefit, and in fact they only lead to confusion and distraction, and leave one open to accepting doubtful matters.

The point is that Allah mentions this city by way of example to those addressed here (namely Quraysh),

﴾when the Messengers came to it﴿ from Allah, to command them to worship Allah alone and devote their worship solely to Him, and to forbid them to ascribe partners to Him and commit sin,

﴾When We sent two Messengers to them, they rejected them, so We supported them with a third﴿ that is, We strengthened them with a third, so they became three Messengers, as a sign of Allah’s care for the people of that city, and so as to establish clear proof by the coming of Messengers one after another.

﴾They said﴿ to the people: ﴾Verily we have been sent to you as Messengers﴿.

But the people responded in a manner that is still well known among those who reject the call of the Messengers:

﴾The people said: You are but human beings like ourselves﴿ that is, what makes you better than us, and why were you chosen to be Messengers instead of us?

The Messengers said to their nations:

﴾f...Indeed, we are but human beings like yourselves, but Allah bestows His favour upon whomever He wills of His slaves...﴿ (Ibraheem 14:11) ﴾fand the Most Gracious has not sent down any revelation﴿. In other words, they denied the concept of a message from Allah, then they rejected the ones to whom they were speaking and said: ﴾you are simply lying﴿.

These three Messengers said: ﴾Our Lord knows that we have been sent to you as Messengers﴿; if we were lying, Allah would have caused us disgrace and would have hastened the punishment to us.

﴾and our duty is only to convey the message in the clearest way﴿ that is, in the way that will explain the matters that need to be explained; everything apart from that, such as the signs that you demand and swift punishment, is not up to us. Rather what is required of us - which is to convey the message clearly - we have done, and we have explained it to you. If you are guided, then that is your good fortune, but if you are misguided, then it is nothing to do with us.

The people of that city said to their Messengers: ﴾We regard you as an evil omen﴿ that is, we do not think that your coming to us andyour contacting us forebodes anything but evil. This is something very strange, to regard those who came to them with the greatest blessing that Allah could bestow upon His slaves, and the greatest honour that He could give them, their need for which surpassed all other needs, as something evil which would exacerbate the bad situation they were already in, and to view it through a lens of superstition. But this is the sign of failure and misguidance that harms a person more than his enemies could.

Then they issued a threat to them by saying: ﴾If you do not desist, we will surely stone you﴿ that is, we will kill you by stoning, which is the worst kind of killing,

﴾fand we will inflict a painful punishment on you﴿.

Their Messengers said to them: ﴾Your evil omen is with you﴿ and it was what they had of polytheism and evil that would lead to calamity and punishment befalling them, and blessings and favours being taken away from them

﴾f[Are you saying this] because you have been admonished?﴿ That is, is it because we reminded you of that which is in your best interests and will bring you good fortune that you said to us what you said? ﴾You are indeed a people transgressing beyond all bounds﴿ and overstepping the mark in what you say. But their call to them only increased them in aversion and arrogance.

﴾A man came rushing from the farthest part of the city﴿, keen to advise his people when he heard what the Messengers called them to, and he believed in it and realised what his people’s response to them was. Hence he said to them:

﴾0 my people, follow the Messengers﴿. He instructed them and advised them to follow them, and testified that they were indeed Messengers.

﴾Follow those who ask no recompense of you﴿ that is, follow those who give you advice that will bring you good, and who do not wantyour wealth or any recompense for advising you and guiding you, for this makes it incumbent upon you to follow those who are like that.

There is only one argument left, which is the idea that perhaps a Messenger may call people and not ask any recompense for that, but he is not calling to the truth. So he warded off this notion by saying: ﴾and who are rightly guided)!, because they were only calling to something of which sound reason testifies to its beauty and goodness, and they were not forbidding anything of which sound reason does not testify to its ugliness and badness.

It is as if his people did not accept his advice; rather they began to criticise him for following the Messengers and worshipping Allah alone. Therefore he said: ﴾Why should I not worship Him Who created me and to Whom you will be brought back?)! That is, what is there to prevent me from worshipping the One Who is truly deserving of worship, because He is the One Who originated me, created me, grants me provision, and to Him is the return of all creatures, then He will requite them for their deeds? He is the One in Whose Hand are creation and provision, and judgement between people in this world and the hereafter; therefore He is the only One Who deserves to be worshipped, praised and glorified, to the exclusion of those who possess no power to benefit or harm, give or withhold, give life, cause death or resurrect. Hence he said:

﴾Should I take other gods besides Him? If the Most Gracious wills that some adversity should befall me, their intercession will not avail me at all]! because no one can intercede with Allah except by His leave, so their intercession will not avail me at all, and they cannot save me from harm if Allah wills it for me.

﴾In that case﴿, if I worship gods that are like that,

﴾I would indeed be clearly misguided)!. In these words, this man combined advice, testimony to the truth of the Messengers and the path of guidance, the statement that it is essential to worship Allah alone and that worship of all others is false, mentioning the proof forboth, the statement that those who worship (false gods) are misguided, and open declaration of his faith, even though he was very afraid that they could kill him. Hence he said:

Verily I believe in your Lord, so hear mej﴿. But they killed him when they heard what he said to them.

It was said [to him]﴿ straight away ﴾Enter paradise )). He said something that was indicative of the level of honour he attained for his affirmation of the oneness of Allah, his devotion, and his sincerity towards his people after his death, as he had been sincere towards them when he was still alive:

﴾Would that my people knew how my Lord has forgiven me﴿ and has saved me from all kinds of punishment

﴾and placed me among the honoured ones﴿, with all kinds of reward and pleasures. In other words, if knowledge of that reached their hearts, they would not persist in their ascription of partners to Allah.

36:28. After his death,^{1The person referred to here is the believing man mentioned in Ya Seen (36. 20) who came rushing from the farthest part of the city to urge his people to respond to the call of the Messengers, but they killed him.} We did not send down any troops from heaven against his people, nor did We need to do so;

36:29. It was but a single blast, and immediately they were extinguished.

36:30. Alas for humanity! No Messenger came to them but they ridiculed him.

Allah says concerning the punishment of his people:

﴾After his death. We did not send down any troops from heaven against his people﴿ that is. We did not need to go to the trouble of punishing them by sending down troops from heaven to destroy them ((nor did We need to do so﴿. Because of the great might of Allah (is) and the extreme weakness of human beings, the slightest touch of divine punishment that befalls them is sufficient.

﴾It﴿ that is, their punishment

﴾was but a single blast﴿ that is, one sound that was spoken by some of the angels of Allah,

﴾and immediately they were extinguished﴿. Their hearts were cut off and dropped inside them, and they were disturbed by that blast and became lifeless, with no sound, no movement and no life after all their stubbornness and arrogance, and their responding to the noblest of people with such abhorrent words and mistreatment.

Allah says, lamenting the condition of people: ﴾Alas for humanity! No Messenger came to them but they ridiculed him﴿ that is, how wretched they are, how long their suffering will be, and how ignorant they are, because this is their wretched condition which is the cause of all misery, suffering and punishment!

36:31. Do they not see how many nations We destroyed before them who will never return to them?

36:32. But all of them, without exception, will be brought before Us.

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: Have these people not seen and learned a lesson from those who came before them of disbelieving nations.whom Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) destroyed and sent His punishment upon them? For all of them have been destroyed and have perished; they never came back to this world and will never come back to it.

Allah will recreate them all and will resurrect them after their death, and they will appear before Him, so that He may judge between them with justice; He does not wrong anyone by as much as the weight of a speck of dust, t﴾. ..And if there is a good deed Allah will multiply it, and give an immense reward of His own.h (an-Nisa'4: 40)

On-rr

36:33. There is a sign for them in the dead earth: We give it life and bring forth from it grain, from which they eat.

36:34. And We place therein gardens of date palms and vines, and We cause springs to gush forth therein,

36:35. so that they may eat the fruits thereof, although it was not their hands that made it. Will they not then be grateful?

36:36. Glory be to Him Who created all types of things that the earth produces, and of themselves [different types], and of [other] things of which they have no knowledge.

﴾There is a sign for them﴿ of the resurrection and the standing before Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) for the requital of their deeds. That sign is ﴾the dead earth p: Allah sends the rain down to it and revives it after its death.﴾and bring forth from it grain, from which they eat﴿, all sorts of crops and all sorts of plants that the livestock eat.

﴾And We place therein﴿ that is, in that dead earth ﴾gardens﴿ in which there are many trees, especially date palms and grapevines, which are the noblest of trees ﴾and We cause springs to gush forth therein﴿ that is, in the earth.

We place those plants, date palms and grapevines in the earth, ﴾so that they may eat the fruits thereof﴿, both staple foods and fruits, to give nourishment and pleasure

﴾although﴿ the fact of the matter is that ﴾it was not their hands that made﴿ those fruits, and they put no effort or work into it; rather that is the creation of the best of creators and the best of providers. Moreover, their hands did not cook them or prepare them; rather Allah created those fruits with no need for cooking or any other preparation, as they may be taken from the trees and eaten immediately.

﴾Will they not then be grateful﴿ to the One Who bestowed these blessings upon them in abundance by His generosity and kindness, to ensure the soundness of their religious and worldly affairs?

Is not the One Who gave life to the earth after its death - causing crops and trees to grow therein and bear these delicious fruits, which emerge from their branches, and causing springs to gush forth from the dry earth - able to give life to the dead? Indeed, He has power over all things.

﴾Glory be to Him Who created all types﴿ and kinds ﴾of things that the earth produces﴿, so He created a variety of types that is too great to list them all

﴾and of themselves [different types]﴿ that is. He created them of different types, male and female, and made their physical shapes, psychological make-up, and outward and inward characteristics different

﴾and of [other] things of which they have no knowledge﴿ that is, other created things of which we have no knowledge, and things that He has not yet created.

Glory be to Him and exalted be He above having any partner, helper, supporter, adviser, spouse, child, equal or anyone like unto Him in His perfect and majestic attributes, and exalted be He above anything He wants being beyond Him.

36:37. There is a sign for them in the night: We strip the daylight from it, and they are left in darkness.

36:38. The sun is rapidly moving towards its destination. That is the decree of the Almighty, All-Knowing.

36:39. And for the moon We have ordained phases, until it becomes again like an old date-stalk, dried-up and curved.

36:40. The sun cannot catch up with the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day.^{1The sun cannot catch up with the moon so that it does away with it, resulting in perpetual day with no night, and the night cannot outstrip the day so that it takes away its light, resulting in perpetual night with no day. (at-Tabari)} Each floats in its own orbit.

﴾There is a sign for them﴿ that Allah’s will is always done, of the perfect nature of His might, and that He will give life to the dead after their death,

﴾in the night: We strip the daylight from it﴿ that is. We take away the great light that covered the land and replace it with darkness ﴾and they are left in darkness﴿.

Similarly, We take away this darkness that covered and enfolded them, hence the sun rises and shines everywhere, and people go about earning their livelihood and taking care of their interests. Hence Allah says: ﴾The sun is rapidly moving towards its destination﴿ that is, it is always moving towards the destination that Allah has ordained for it, and it never goes beyond that or falls short of it; it has no control over itself and it does not resist the decree of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).

﴾That is the decree of the Almighty﴿ Who by His might controls these great creations in the most perfect manner, according to the best system ﴾the All-Knowing﴿ Who by His knowledge made them serve people’s interests and benefit them in their worldly and spiritual affairs.

﴾And for the moon We have ordained phases﴿ through which it passes; each night it moves to the next phase, step-by-step ﴾until﴿ it becomes very small and goes back to being ﴾like an old date-stalk, dried-up and curved﴿ because it is so old that it shrank, became smaller and bent. Then after that, little by little, it keeps increasing gradually until its light is complete and it shines brightly.

﴾Each﴿ namely the sun and the moon, and the night and the day - for each of them Allah has decreed a limit beyond which it cannot go; each of them has a time when it prevails and the other disappears. Hence Allah says: ﴾The sun cannot catch up with the moon﴿ that is, at the time when it prevails, which is the night; so there can be no sun at night.

﴾nor can the night outstrip the day﴿ and encroach upon it before its time is over

﴾Each﴿ both the sun and the moon, tffloats in its own orbit﴿ that is, it constantly runs in its own course. All of this offers clear evidence and proof for the greatness of the Creator and the sublime nature of His attributes, especially His might, wisdom and knowledge in this context.

36:41. And it is a sign for them that We cause their children and womenfolk [and themselves]^{1This sign is a blessing for all people, but children and women are highlighted here because it is a particular blessing for them, as travelling in ships is easier for them than riding camels and horses, or walking, which at the time of revelation were the main means of transportation. (al-Qurtubi)} to be carried in fully-laden ships,

36:42. and We have created for them similar [means of transportation on land] on which they ride.

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36:43. If We so willed. We could drown them, then there would be no one to help them, nor could they be saved,

36:44. unless it be a mercy from Us, leaving them to enjoy life for a while.

36:45. When it is said to them: Beware of that which is before you [punishment in this world] and that which lies ahead of you [punishment in the hereafter], so that you may be shown mercy, [they pay no heed].

36:46. No sign ever comes to them from their Lord but they turn away from it.

36:47. When it is said to them: Spend of that, which Allah has provided for you, those who disbelieve say to those who believe: Should we feed those whom, if Allah had so willed. He would have fed? You are clearly misguided!

36:48. They say: When will this promise come to pass, if you speak the truth?

36:49. All they are waiting for is a single blast [of the Trumpet]^{1This will be the first Trumpet blast of the Day of Resurrection, whereupon all those who are alive at that time will die.} that will overtake them while they are still disputing.

36:50. Then they will not be able to leave any final instructions [concerning their affairs], nor will they be able to return to their families.

That is, there is a sign and proof for them that Allah alone is deserving of worship, because it is He Who bestows blessings and wards off calamities. One of His blessings is that ﴾We cause their children and womenfolk [and themselves] to be carried in fully-laden ships ﴾and We have created for them similar [means of transportation on land] on which they ride﴿.

Thus Allah causes them to be carried and saves them from drowning by means of what He taught them. Hence He draws their attention to the blessing that He bestowed upon them, as He saved them when He was able to drown them, as He says:

﴾If We so willed. We could drown them, then there would be no one to help them﴿ that is, there would be no one who could come and help them in their distress or relieve them of difficulty ﴾nor could they be saved﴿ from their predicament.

﴾unless it be a mercy from Us, leaving them to enjoy life for a while﴿, as We did not drown them, out of kindness towards them.and We left them to enjoy life for a while, perhaps they might turn back to Allah or make up for what they had failed to do.

﴾When it is said to them: Beware of that which is before you [punishment in this world] and that which lies ahead of you [punishment in the hereafter]﴿ that is, punishment in this world or in al-barzakh^{2An intermediate state between death and the Day of Resurrection; it is also said to be a ‘place’ where the souls of the deceased will remain until the blowing of the Trumpet.} and on the Day of Resurrection,

﴾so that you may be shown mercy﴿, they turned away from that and did not pay any attention to it, and they would not do so even if every sign came to them. Hence Allah says:

﴾No sign ever comes to them from their Lord but they turn away from it﴿. The fact that the signs are attributed to their Lord indicates that they were perfect and clear, because there is no sign clearer than the signs of Allah.

One of the ways in which Allah guides His slaves is causing the signs to reach them by means of which they may learn that which will benefit them in both their religious and worldly affairs.

﴾When it is said to them: Spend of that, which Allah has provided for you﴿ that is, spend of the provision which Allah has bestowed upon you and which, if He so willed. He could take away from you, ﴾those who disbelieve say to those who believe﴿ by way of opposing the truth, basing their argument on the concept of the divine will: ﴾Should we feed those whom, if Allah had so willed. He would have fed? You﴿, O believers, ﴾are clearly misguided﴿ when you enjoin us to do that.

This is indicative of their great ignorance, which is abhorrent and wilful ignorance, because the sinner cannot use the divine will as an argument to justify his sin. Although whatever Allah wills happens and what He does not will does not happen. He has given people theability and strength by means of which they are able to do what He commands and avoid what He forbids, so if they failed to do as they are commanded, that is their choice, and no one compels or forces them to do it.

﴾They say﴿ by way of disbelieving and seeking to hasten the Day of Resurrection:

﴾When will this promise come to pass, if you speak the truth?﴿

Allah (te) says: Do not think that it is far-off, for it is near. ﴾AIl they are waiting for is a single blast [of the Trumpet] that will overtake them﴿ that is, befall them

﴾while they are still disputing﴿ that is, whilst they are distracted from it, and it never crosses their minds whilst they are disputing and arguing with one another, which usually happens when they are heedless.

If the punishment befalls them at a moment of heedlessness, they will not be given any respite, ﴾Then they will not be able to leave any final instructions [concerning their affairs]﴿, great or small,

﴾nor will they be able to return to their families﴿.

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36:51. The Trumpet will be blown [again], and at once from their graves they will rush forth to their Lord.

36:52. They will say: Woe to us! Who has roused us from our resting-place? [It will be said to them:] This is what the Most Gracious promised, and the Messengers spoke the truth.

36:53. It will be but a single blast [of the Trumpet], then immediately they will all be brought before Us.

36:54. This day, no soul will be wronged in the least, and you will not be requited for anything other than what you used to do.

The first blast of the Trumpet will be a blast of panic and death, and the blast mentioned here is the blast of Resurrection. When the Trumpet is blown, they will emerge from their tombs and graves and rush forth to their Lord, hastening to stand before Him, and they will not be able to be slow or stay behind.

In that situation, the disbelievers will be filled with sorrow and will express their loss and regret, saying:

﴾Woe to us! Who has roused us from our resting-place?﴿ that is, who has woken us from our graves? It is narrated in some hadiths that the occupants of the graves will have a brief respite from torment just before the Trumpet is blown.

The response will come and it will be said to them: ﴾This is what the Most Gracious promised, and the Messengers spoke the truth﴿ that is, this is what Allah promised you and what the Messengers promised you, and what they said has turned out to be true, as you can see with your own eyes.

Do not think that mention of the divine name the Most Gracious in this context is merely because it is speaking of His promise. Rather that highlights the fact that on that momentous day, they will see of His mercy that which never crossed their minds and no one expected. This is like the verses in which Allah says:

﴾On that day true dominion will belong to the Most Gracious...﴿

- and:

﴾...All voices will be stilled before the Most Gracious...﴿ (Ta Ha 20: 108)- and other similar verses, in which the divine name ﴾the Most Gracious﴿ is mentioned in this context.

﴾lt﴿ namely the resurrection from the graves ﴾will be but a single blast﴿ that Israfeel will blow on the Trumpet, and all bodies will be restored to life.

﴾then immediately they will all be brought before Us﴿, the first and the last, human and jinn, to be brought to account for their deeds.

﴾This day, no soul will be wronged in the least﴿; nothing will be detracted from its good deeds and nothing will be added to its bad deeds.

﴾and you will not be requited for anything other than what you used to do﴿ of good or evil. Whoever finds good, let him praise Allah for that, and whoever finds anything other than that, let him not blame anyone but himself.

36:55. Verily the inhabitants of paradise will, on that day, be busy in their rejoicing,

36:56. they and their spouses reclining on couches in the shade.

36:57. There they will have fruit and all that they ask for.

36:58. Peace! - a word [of salutation] from a Lord Most Merciful.

Having stated that each person will be requited only for what he did, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) now refers to the requital of both groups, starting with the reward of the people of paradise. He tells us that on that day, they will be ﴾be busy in their rejoicing﴿ that is, their souls will berejoicing, having all that one may desire, that may delight the eye, and all that anyone could wish for. That will include the joy of being with beautiful spouses, as Allah says: ﴾and their spouses﴿ of the hoor al- ‘een, ﴾jon couches in the shade﴿ that is, they will be reclining on beautiful adorned couches, wearing beautiful adorned garments, in complete comfort, relaxed and secure, enjoying perfect pleasure.

﴾There they will have fruit﴿ in abundance, all types of delicious fruits, grapes, figs, pomegranates and others ﴾and all that they ask for﴿ that is, whatever they request and wish for, they will get.

They will also have ﴾Peace! - a word [of salutation]﴿ coming to them ﴾from a Lord Most Merciful﴿. This refers to the Lord addressing the people of paradise and greeting them. If the Most Merciful Lord gives them a salutation of peace, they will attain perfect peace and well-being in all aspects, and they will receive this salutation, which is such that no salutation is more sublime than it and there is no blessing like it. So what do you think of a salutation from the King of Kings, the Almighty Lord, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful, to the people of His paradise, who have attained His pleasure and He will never be angry with them?

Were it not that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) has decreed that they will never die, their hearts might be displaced out of joy, pleasure and happiness. We hope that our Lord will not deprive us of that bliss, and that He will grant us the joy of gazing upon His noble Countenance.

36:59. Stand apart [from the believers] this day, O evildoers!

36:60. Did 1 not instruct you, O children of Adam, that you should not worship the Shaytan, for he is to you an avowed enemy,

36:61. and that you should worship Me, for that is a straight path?

36:62. He led great numbers of you astray. Could you not then understand?

36:63. This is hell, that you were promised.

36:64. Bum therein this day for having disbelieved.

36:65. Today We will seal up their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will testify to their misdeeds.

36:66. If We so willed, we could blind their eyes; then if they were to rush to find their way, how would they be able to see?

36:67. If We so willed. We could paralyse them in their places; then they would not be able to go forward or turn back.

Having mentioned the reward of those who feared Him, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) now tells us of the requital of the evildoers. It will be said to them on the Day of Resurrection:

﴾Stand apart [from the believers] this day, O evildoers﴿ that is, be distinct from the believers and be on your own, so that He may rebuke them before the witnesses before they enter hell. He will say to them:

﴾Did 1 not instruct you﴿ that is, command you and enjoin you, on the lips of My Messengers, and say to you:

﴾0 children of Adam, that you should not worship the Shaytan﴿ that is, you should not obey him? This rebuke is a rebuke for all kinds ofdisbelief and sin, because all of it is obedience to the Shaytan and worship of him.

﴾for he is to you an avowed enemy﴿, so I warned you against him in the most emphatic terms, told you not to obey him, and informed you of that to which he calls you

﴾and﴿ I instructed you ﴾that you should worship Me﴿, by obeying My commands and refraining from what I forbade.

﴾for that﴿ namely worshipping and obeying Me and disobeying the Shaytan ﴾is a straight path﴿. Knowledge of the straight path and acting accordingly is based on these two matters.

In other words: you did not pay attention to My instructions, and you did not follow My commands, and you took your enemy as a friend, so he ?fled great numbers of you astray. Could you not then understand?﴿ that is, you did not have sound rational thinking that would tell you to take your Lord as an ally, Who is your true ally, and would prevent you from taking your worst enemy as an ally. If you had had sound rational thinking, you would not have done that.

As you obeyed the Shaytan and took the Most Gracious as an enemy, and you disbelieved in the meeting with Him, and now you have come to the abode of requital, and the decree of punishment has become inevitable for you,

﴾This is hell, that you were promised﴿ but you disbelieved in it. So now look at it with your own eyes. At that point they will be filled with alarm and will stare fixedly in horror, and there will be great panic.

That will be completed by the order to take them to the fire, and it will be said to them: ﴾Bum therein this day for having disbelieved﴿ that is, enter it in such a way that you will be burned and overwhelmed by its heat, which will envelop you completely, because of your disbelief in the revelations of Allah and your rejection of the Messengers of Allah.

Then Allah says: describing the terrible fate that will befall them in the abode of wretchedness:

﴾Today We will seal up their mouths﴿ by rendering them unable to speak, so they will not be able to deny what they did of disbelief and rejection of the message.

﴾and their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will testify to their misdeeds﴿ that is, their limbs will testify against them, with regard to what they did, and they will be caused to speak by the One Who causes everything to speak (that is able to speak) (cf. 41: 21).

﴾If We so willed, we could blind their eyes﴿ and make them unable to see, just as We will make them unable to speak ﴾then if they were to rush to find their way﴿ that is, if they were to hasten to find the way to paradise ﴾how would they be able to see﴿ after their vision has been taken away?

﴾If We so willed, We could paralyse them in their places﴿ and take away their ability to move

﴾then they would not be able to go forward or turn back﴿ in order to get away from the fire. What is meant is that the decree of punishment will become inevitable for these disbelievers, and they will have no means of escape from that punishment.

In that situation, there will be nothing but the fire, which will have been brought forth, and no one will be able to be saved except by crossing the sirat (a bridge that will be set up over hell), and no one will be able to do that except the believers, who will walk in the light. As for these (disbelievers), they have no promise from Allah of salvation from the fire.

If Allah willed, He could blind their eyes and leave them able to move, so they would not be able to find their way to the sirat, even if they rush and hasten to do so. So they will not be able to move forward or backwards. What is meant is that they will not cross it, therefore they will not attain salvation.tr^O^J

36:68. Whomever We cause to live long, We also cause his strength to decline [as he grows old]. Will they not then understand?

﴾Whomever We cause to live long﴿ among the sons of Adam, ﴾We also cause his strength to decline﴿ that is, he goes back to the state in which he began, which is a state of weakness in both mental and physical terms.

﴾Will they not then understand﴿ that the human being is lacking in all ways, so that they may make the most of their physical strength and mental ability before it is too late, and use it in obedience to their Lord?

36:69. We have not taught him [the Prophet] poetry, nor could he ever have been a poet. Verily it is but a reminder and a clear Qur’an,

36:70. so that he may warn those who are truly alive, and so that the decree [of punishment] may become inevitable for the disbelievers.

Here Allah (is) declares His Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to be above what the polytheists accused him of, that he was a poet and that what he brought was poetry.

﴾We have not taught him [the Prophet] poetry, nor could he ever have been a poet﴿ that is, it is not appropriate for him to be a poet. This is impossible, because he is wise and rightly guided, whereaspoets are misguided, and are followed by the misguided, and because Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) refuted all the specious arguments that the misguided use against His Messenger (ﷺ).

Thus He refuted the argument that he was able to read and write, and stated that He did not teach him poetry and that that was not appropriate for him.

﴾Verily it is but a reminder and a clear Qur’an﴿ that is, what he has brought is nothing but a reminder by which people of understanding may be reminded of all religious teachings, which this Book mentions in a comprehensive manner that reminds people of what Allah has instilled in their natural disposition of enjoining everything that is good and forbidding everything that is evil.

﴾and a clear Qur’an﴿ that is, it explains everything that needs to be explained. Hence what is explained is not specified, so as to indicate that it explains and clarifies all that is true, with evidence both detailed and general, and it clarifies all that is false, with the evidence for it being false.

Allah revealed it thus to His Messenger (ﷺ), ﴾fso that he may warn those who are truly alive﴿ that is, spiritually alive and alert. They are the ones who will be purified by this Qur’an and will increase in knowledge and action. For the hearts of such people, the Qur’an is like rain that falls on good, fertile land.

﴾and so that the decree [of punishment] may become inevitable for the disbelievers﴿ because the proof of Allah is established against them, their arguments are refuted, and no excuse is left for them.

36:71. Do they not see that We have created for them - among the things that Our Hands have wrought - livestock animals, of which they are masters,

36:72. and that We have brought them under their control, so that some of them they have for riding and some they eat,

36:73. and they have other benefits from them, and [milk] to drink? Will they not then be grateful?

Here Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) enjoins people to look at that which He has made to be of service to them, namely livestock animals, of which they are masters, and which are obedient to them in everything that they want of them. He has created many benefits for them, as they carry them and their loads, goods and luggage from one place to another; some of the livestock they eat, and from others they keep warm, as from their wool, fur and hair (He has given them) furnishings and other goods (to serve them) for a time (cf. 16. 80). In them there is adornment and beauty, and other visible benefits.

﴾ Will they not then be grateful to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), Who has bestowed these blessings, and devote their worship to Him alone, and not just enjoy these benefits without reflecting and pondering?

36:74. Yet they have taken other gods besides Allah, in the hope that they may be helped.

36:75. They cannot help them; rather their worshippers stand like warriors ready to defend them.

This explains the falseness of those that the polytheists took as gods besides Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), hoping for their help and intercession.

They are utterly incapable: ﴾They cannot help them﴿ and cannot help themselves. If they are not able to help them, then there is no way the people can receive help from them. There are two essential conditions for help: being able to do it and wanting to do it. If (an idol) is able to help, does it want to help its worshipper or not? If it cannot help, then both matters are ruled out.

﴾rather their worshippers stand like warriors ready to defend them﴿.

36:76. Do not let their words grieve you. Verily We know what they conceal and what they disclose.

That is, do not let the words of these disbelievers grieve you, O Messenger (ﷺ). What is meant by their words is what is indicated by the context, which is everything they said in which they cast aspersions on the Messenger (ﷺ) or the message he brought.

In other words: do not be distracted by grieving for them, for ﴾Verily We know what they conceal and what they disclose﴿ and We will requite them according to what we know of them, and their words will not harm you in the slightest.

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36:77. Does man not see that We created him from a drop of semen? Yet he becomes argumentative, able to express himself,

36:78. producing arguments against Us and forgetting his own creation. He says: Who can give life to bones that have crumbled to dust?

36:79. Say: He Who created them in the first place will give life to them, for He has full knowledge of every act of creation.

36:80. It is He Who produces fire for you out of the green trees, with which you kindle your fires.

36:81. Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like of them?^{1That is. He is able to recreate them (on the Day of Resurrection) exactly as they were in the first creation. (as-Sa'di)} Yes indeed, for He is the Creator of all, the All-Knowing.

36:82. His way, when He decrees a matter, is merely to say to it, ‘Be!’ and it is.

36:83. So glory be to the One in Whose Hand is the dominion over all things, and to Him you will be brought back.

These verses mention the specious argument of those who denied the resurrection, and the most perfect response to it in the best and clearest manner. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: ﴾Does man not see﴿ that is, does man, who denies the resurrection and doubts it, not see something that will give him complete certainty that the resurrection will indeed happen, namely the beginning of his own creation﴾from a drop of semen﴿ after which he passes through stages, one after another, until he becomes a young man, and he becomes mature in thinking and reaches his peak.

﴾Yet he becomes argumentative, able to express himself﴿ after his beginning as a drop of semen. So let him see the difference between the two states, what he was and what he became, and let him realise that the One Who created him from nothing is more able to recreate him after he has disintegrated and been scattered.

﴾producing arguments against Us﴿ that no one should produce, because it is based on comparing the might and power of the Creator with the power of the created being, saying that what is impossible for the created being is also impossible for the Creator.

Then Allah explains this argument further: ﴾He﴿ namely that (argumentative) man ﴾says: Who can give life to bones that have crumbled to dust?﴿ that is, will anyone revive them? This is a question by way of denial; in other words, no one will revive them after they have disintegrated and vanished.

This specious argument, which says that this is very unlikely because it is something that is beyond human capabilities, was produced by this person because of his heedlessness and because he forgot how his own creation began. Had he thought about how he was created, after he had been nothing worth mentioning, then he came into existence, he would not have come up with such an argument.

In response to this view that the resurrection is unlikely, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) gave a perfect answer that settles the matter once and for all, as He said: ﴾He Who created them in the first place will give life to them﴿ - as soon as a person thinks of it, he will realise with certainty, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that the One Who created them in the first place is able to create them a second time, and that is easier for His power, if one just thinks about it.

﴾for He has full knowledge of every act of creation﴿ this is a second proof, which is connected to one of the attributes of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى), forHis knowledge encompasses all created beings, in all circumstances, at all times. He knows what the earth consumes of the bodies of the dead, and what remains, and He knows the unseen and the seen. If a person affirms this great divine knowledge, he will realise that it is easy for the One Who possesses this great knowledge to give life to the dead and bring them forth from their graves.

Then Allah mentions a third proof: ﴾It is He Who produces fire for you out of the green trees, with which you kindle your fires﴿. If He produces fire, which is dry, from the green trees, which are very damp and moist, even though their characteristics are diametrically opposed, then His bringing forth of the dead from their graves is akin to that.

Then He mentions a fourth proof: ﴾Is not He Who created the heavens and the earthy despite their immense vastness «fable to create the like of them﴿ that is, is He not able to recreate them?

﴾Yes indeed﴿, He is able to do that, for the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of people.

﴾for He is the Creator of all, the All-Knowing﴿. This is the fifth proof. He is the Creator of all, and all created things - earlier and later, small and great - are indicative of His creation and might; it is never too difficult for Him to create anything that He wants to create.

His recreation of the dead is one of the aspects of His being the Creator, hence He says:

﴾His way, when He decrees a matter, is merely to say to it, ‘Be!’ and it is﴿ that is, immediately, with no impediment.

﴾So glory be to the One in Whose Hand is the dominion over all things﴿ - this is a sixth point of evidence: the Sovereign Who controls all things - and everything that dwells in the upper and lower realms belongs to Him, and all are slaves who are subject to His control - is running their affairs according to His divine decree and the decrees of His Sharia.

Hence recreating them after their death, in order to requite them, is part of His perfect control. Hence He says: ﴾and to Him you will be brought back﴿, without a doubt, because of the abundant and definitive proof and evidence to that effect. So blessed be the One in Whose word there is guidance, healing and light.

This is the end of the commentary on Soorat Ya Seen.

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