النص المفهرس

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Surah Fațir : 35 : 29 - 37
At this point, let us refer back to the Hadith of Sayyidna Abu-D-
Darda' dee that has appeared a little earlier. There it has been stated that
it will be said by the unjust, those who have wronged their own selves.
This is because they would initially face great anxiety on the plains of
Resurrection but, finally, when they are asked to enter Paradise, it will
siand removed. This statement does not contradict the Hadith of
Sayyidna Ibn 'Umar de appearing immediately above. Again, the reason
is that the person who has wronged himself would have an additional
sorrow on his hands, more serious than that of others, on the plains of the
Resurrection as well - something that will stand removed at the time of
one's entry into the Paradise. In short, this is a statement that will be
made by all people of Jannah, no matter to which kind they belong, to the
ones who have been ahead of all in good deeds, or to those who have
followed the middle course, or to those who have been unjust to their own
selves. But, the thought of everyone's roster of sorrows being separate
from each other is not too far out.
Imam Abu Bakr al-Jassas said: It is the typical state of a believer that
he never remains free of concerns while in this world. The Holy Prophet
Et has said that the world is a prison for the believer. This is the reason
why it appears in the accounts of the lives of the Holy Prophet 5 and his
great Sahabah that these blessed souls used to look sad fairly often.
In verse 35 :ٌالَّذِى احنا دار الْمُقَامَةِ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ◌ّ لَايَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَّلَا يَمَسُّنَا فِيُهَا لُغُوب (who,
out of His grace, has made us land at a home of eternal living where
neither we are touched by weariness. nor are we touched by boredom."),
some characteristics of Jannah have been described: (1) That it is an
eternal home with no danger of any lapse of time, or expulsion from there
at any time. (2) That no one will face any sorrow while there. (3) That no
one there will experience the least fatigue or boredom, as it happens in
the mortal world where one needs to sleep after work. Life in Jannah will
be free from this too. This subject also finds mention in some narrations of
Hadith. (Mazharī)
When the people in Jahannam will plead with their Lord that they be
delivered from its punishment, so that they could do good deeds then, and
not do the bad ones they did earlier, at that time they will be told: ,
Did We not give you an age in your life") نُعَمِّرُكُمُ مَّايَتَذَكَّرُ فِيْهِ مَنْ تَذَكَّرَ وَجَاءَ كُمُ النَّذِيْرُ
in which lesson could have been learnt by the one who wished to take

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Surah Fațir : 35 : 29 - 37
lesson - 37) Sayyidna 'Ali Ibn Husain Zain ul-'Abidin
said, "It means
the age of seventeen years." And Qatadah Ju Ul , gave the age as
eighteen years, meaning thereby the age of puberty. And the difference
of seventeen and eighteen is possible in determining the age of puberty,
as someone may reach puberty at the age of seventeen and someone else
at, eighteen. In the Shari'ah, the age of puberty is the first line of
demarcation after having crossed which a person is Divinely blessed with
enough reason, so that one can understand what is good or bad in his or
her case. Therefore, this address will be to disbelievers at large
irrespective of their ages being long or short. However, the one who had a
long lease of life, yet did not come to his senses, saw all sorts of physical
proofs scattered around and heard the teachings of the prophets, still did
not recognize the truth - so then, this one will be more blameworthy.
In short, the person who saw nothing beyond the age of puberty, he
too was given enough power of discrimination by nature that he could
have used to distinguish between the true and the false. When he failed
to do that, he too is deserving of censure and punishment. But, the person
who was given long years to live, the warning of Allah stood served
against him in a more conclusive degree. Then, if he could still not shake
off his disbelief and disobedience, he would be more deserving of
punishment and blame.
Sayyidna 'Ali al-Murtada4
said, 'The age whereupon Allah Ta'ala
has asked His sinning servants to beware is that of sixty years.' Sayyidna
Ibn 'Abbas 40, according to one narration, has given it as forty years
while, according to another narration, as sixty. He has said that this is
the age when the argument and warrant of Allah stands served
conclusively on an erring person who, then, is left with no room for
making excuses. Ibn Kathir has given preference to the second Hadith of
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
From the presentation made above, it is clear that there is no
contradiction in the narrations pointing out to the age of seventeen /
eighteen and sixty. Though, someone at the age of seventeen/eighteen is
able to distinguish between the true and the false. Therefore, one has
been obligated with precepts of the Shari'ah from this benchmark this
very age of puberty. But, the age of sixty is such a long period of time
that, should one still fail to recognize the truth, there remains no room for

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making any more excuses. Against such a person, the argument of Allah
stands firmly established. Therefore, the aggregate ages of people in this
blessed ummah are destined to be between sixty and seventy years - as
said in Hadith:
أَعُمَارُ أُمَّتِىُ مَابَيْنَ السِّتِيْنَ إِلَى السَّبُعِيْنَ وَاقَلُّهُمُ مَّنْ يَّجُوُزُ ذلِكَ
The ages of my ummah will be in between sixty and seventy
and there will be few of those who will exceed that - reported by
al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, Ibn Kathir.
Towards the end of the verse (37), it was said : ◌ُوَجَاءَكُمُ النَّذِير (And
(furthermore) the warner had (also) come to you.). Given here is a hint
that Allah Ta'ala gives one from the age one attains puberty enough
ability to rationalize and recognize at least his or her creator and master
and then goes on to live a life the purpose of which is to seek His pleasure.
To do only this much, human reason alone would have been sufficient.
But, Allah Ta'ala did not leave it simply at that. In fact, He sent His
special people called: ¿ (nadhir) to help them reason it out. This word is
usually translated as 'one who warns' or 'warner' in English (the later,
though, not formally admissible in the language, but is still used in the
absence of a suitable equivalent). In fact, a nadhir is a person who, by
virtue of his mercy and compassion, asks his people to stay away from
things that are likely to bring harm to them or cause their total ruination
as a people and tries to instill the fear of such things in their hearts, lest it
actually happens. In terms of its well-recognized meaning, it refers to the
noble prophets L JI Logle, and to the 'Ulama' who carry out their mission
as their deputies. The outcome of the verse is: 'We gave them reason to
recognize the true from the false. Along with it, We also sent Our
prophets who would guide them on the path of truth and keep them safe
from the false.'
And it has been reported from Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas de, 'Ikrimah see
and Imam Ja'far Baqir that nadhir means the gray hair of the old age.
When they flare up, they give a message to human beings: Here comes
the time to go! This statement too is not contradictory to the first one for
gray hair might as well serve as the standard bearers of warning along
with Anbiya' and 'Ulama'.
And the truth of the matter is that all conditions faced by human

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Sūrah Fațir : 35 : 38 - 41
beings after their age of puberty and all minor and major changes that
take place in their persons and in that they are surrounded with are, all
of them, heralds of warning for human beings.
Verse 38 - 41
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عُلِمُ غَيْبِ السَّمُوْتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ◌ُ إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوْرِ
﴿٣٨) هُوَالَّذِىُ جَعَلَكُمْ خَلَئِفَ فِى الْأَرْضِ * فَمَنُ كَفَرَ فَعَلَيْهِ
كُفْرُهُ وَلَا يَزِيْدُ الْكَفِرِيْنَ كُفْرُهُمُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَّ مَقْنَا وَلَا يَزِيدُ
الْكُفِرِيْنَ كُفْرُهُمْ إِلَّا خَسَارًا ﴿٣٩) قُلْ آَرَعَيْتُمْ شُرَكَاءَكُمُ الَّذِيْنَ
تَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللهُِّ اَرُوُنِى مَاذَا خَلَقُوا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمُ شِرُكٌ
فِى السَّمُوْتِ آَمْ أَتَيْئُهُمْ كِتْبَا فَهُمُ عَلَى بَيْنَتٍ مِّنْهُ بَلُ إِنْ يَّعِدُ
الظُلِمُوْنَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا إِلَّا غُرُورًا ﴿٤﴾ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمُسِكُ السَّمْوَتِ
وَالْأَرْضَ أَنْ تَزُوُلَا، وَلَئِنُ زَالَتَآ إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّنُ بَعُدِهِ*
إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيُمًا غَفُورًا ﴿٤١﴾
Surely Allah is the Knower of the unseen in the heavens
and the earth. Indeed He fully knows what lies in the
hearts. [38]
He is the One who has made you successors (of the past
generations) in the earth. So the one who becomes
infidel, his infidelity will go against himself. And their
infidelity adds nothing to the infidels but anger with
their Lord, and their infidelity adds nothing to the
infidels but loss. [39] Say, "Tell me about your
(presumed) co-gods whom you invoke beside Allah.
Show me that part of the earth that they have created,
or do they have a share in the (creation) of the heavens?
" Or have We given them a book so that they are upon a
clear proof from it? No, but the wrongdoers promise
one another nothing but delusion. [40] Undoubtedly,
Allah holds back the heavens and the earth from
leaving their existing state, and if they were to leave,
there is none who can hold them back, except Him.
Surely He is Forbearing, Most-Forgiving. [41]

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Surah Fațir : 35 : 42 - 45
Commentary
The word : ◌َخَلَائِف (khala'if) in verse 39:ِهُوَ الَّذِىُ جَعَلَكُمُ خَلَئِفَ فِى الْأَرُض (He is
the One who has made you successors (of the past generations) in the
earth.) is the plural of: ale (khalifah) which means deputy or
vice-regent. The general sense is that Allah Ta'ala has let human beings
have lands and houses that keep passing on from one to the other. In this
phenomena, there is a great lesson - turn to Allah. Then, the statement
could also be taken to have been addressed to the ummah of the Holy
Prophet % saying, 'After past communities, We made you take their place
with authority to make life better around you, so it is your duty that you
learn your lesson from what happened to people earlier than you, and
hence you, on your part, do not while away precious moments of your life
in negligence.'
In the expression: ◌ِإِنَّ اللهَ يُمُسِكُ السَّمُوت (Undoubtedly, Allah holds back
the heavens and the earth - 35:41), the 'holding' of the heavens or the
skies does not mean that their movement was stopped. Instead, it means
holding them from moving askance - as the word: Y,5 31 (an tazula: from
leaving their existing state,) bears it out. Therefore, in this verse, there
exists no supporting evidence on either side as to the skies move or they
are static.
Verses 42 - 45
وَأَقْسَمُوا بِاللّهِ جَهُدَ آَيْمَانِهِمْ لَئِنُ جَآءَ هُمُ نَذِيْرٌ لَّيْكُوْنُنَّ أَهْدِى مِنْ
إِحْدَى الْأُمَمِ ، فَلَّمَّا جَآءَهُمْ نَذِيرٌ مَّازَادَهُمْ إِلاَنْفُورَا ﴿٤٢﴾ إِسْتِكْبَارًا
فِى الْأَرْضِ وَمَكْرَا لَسَّيءٍ ﴿ وَلَا يَحِيْقُ الْمَكُرُ السَّيّئُ إِلَّ بِأَهْلِه ـ
فَهَلُ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّ سُنَّتَ الْأَوَّلِيْنَ ، فَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيْلًا؟
وَلَنْ تَجِدَّ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَحْوِيًُّا ﴿٤٣﴾ أَوَلَمْ يَسِيْرُوا فِى الْأَرْضِ
فَيَنْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمُ وَكَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً،
وَمَا كَانَ اللهُ لِيُعُجِزَهُ مِنْ شَىْءٍ فِى السَّمُوْتِ وَلَا فِى الْأَرْضِ ﴿ إِنَّهُ"
كَانَ عَلِيمًا قَدِيْرًا ﴿٤٤﴾ وَلَوْيُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا مَاتَرَكَ

358
Sūrah Fațir : 35 : 42 - 45
عَلَى ظَهُرِهَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ وَّلَكِنُ يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَى اَجَلٍ مُّسَمَّىتَ فَإِذَا جَآءَ
اَجَلُهُمُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ بَصِيرًا ﴿٤٥﴾
And they had sworn forceful oaths that if a warner
would come to them, they would be more receptive to
guidance than any other community. But when a
warner came to them, it added nothing to them but
aversion, [42] because of their showing arrogance in the
land and plotting of evil. And the evil plot envelops
none but its own people ( who make it ). So, they are
looking for nothing but the (divine) practice with the
earlier people. So you will never find in Allah's practice
any change, and you will never find in Allah's practice
any diversion. [43] Did they not travel in the land and
see how was the end of those before them ? And they
were stronger than these in power. And Allah is not
such that something in the heavens or the earth can
frustrate Him. Surely He is All-Knowing, All-Powerful.
[44] And if Allah were to take mankind to task for what
they did, He would have not left a living creature on its
back, but He delays them upto an appointed time. So
when their time will come, then Allah is the One who
will see His slaves. [45]
Commentary
The word : ◌ُلَا يَحِيُق (la yahiq) in verse 43 :ِوَلَا يَحِيُقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّئُ إِلَّ بِاَهُلِه (And the
evil plot envelops none but its own people ( who make it ) carries the sense
of: bi's (la yuhit: does not surround) or: cine' (la usb: does not afflict).
Thus, it comes to mean that the curse of making an evil plan falls on none
but the one who makes it. In other words, a person who wishes evil for
others, he himself falls a victim to it.
A doubt may arise at this point. It is commonly seen in this worldly life
that someone with an evil plan gets away with it and the loss intended for
anyone stands inflicted on him. The answer to this has been given by
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanavi by saying that the pain or loss inflicted on
such a person was a loss limited to this mortal world, while the loss to be
the fate of the maker of such evil plan in the Hereafter was not only
heavier, but was more lasting too. So, if compared, his worldly loss
amounts to nothing.
There is another answer given by some elders who say that there are

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Sūrah Fațir : 35 : 42 - 45
occasions when the curse of contriving against someone innocent or
inflicting injustice on him, more than often, falls on the person causing it,
right here in this world as well. Muhammad Ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi said:
There are three things the doer of which does not remain safe against its
curse and punishment even in this world. These are: (1) Causing harm or
pain to some innocent person by engineering evil against him. (2)
Inflicting any injustice. (3) Breaking of pledge. (Ibn Kathir) Particularly so,
when things like that are done against a person who is helpless or does
not have the power to avenge or elects to endure despite having that
power. Experience bears out that no one who does things like that has
ever remained unaffected by the curse of injustice thus inflicted even in
this world. Hence, the outcome will be that the element of restriction
(Hasr) visible here appears in terms of a majority rule and not in any
absolute sense. Allah knows best.
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Fațir
Ends here

363
Surah Ya Sin : 36 : 1 - 12
Surah Ya Sin
Surah Ya Sin was revealed at Makki and it has 83 verses and 5 sections
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 12
يْسَ ﴿٢﴾ وَالْقُرْآنِ الْحَكِيْمِ ﴿٢﴾ إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرُسَلِيْنَ ﴿٣٠) عَلى
لا
صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيْمٍ ﴿٤﴾ تَنْزِيْلَ الْعَزِيزِ الرَّحِيمِ ﴿﴾ لِتُنْذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّآ أُنْذِرَ
أَبَآؤُهُمْ فَهُمُ غُفِلُونَ ﴿٦﴾ لَقَدُ حَقَّ الْقَوْلُ عَلَى أَكْثَرِهِمْ فَهُمْ
لَايُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٧﴾ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا فِىٌّ أَعْنَاقِهِمُ أَعْلَا فَهِىَ إِلَى الْأَذْقَانِ فَهُمُ
مُقْمَحُونَ ﴿٨﴾ وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيْهِمُ سَدًّا وَمِنُ خَلْفِهِمُ سَدًّا
فَأَغْشَيْنُمُ فَهُمُ لَايُبْصِرُوْنَ ﴿٩﴾ وَسَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَ أَنْذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمُ
تُنْذِرُهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٠﴾ إِنَّمَا تُنْذِرُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ الذِّكُرَ وَخَشِىَ
الرَّحُمْنَ بِالْغَيْبِ ، فَبَشِّرُهُ بِمَغْفِرَةٍ وَّاجْرٍ كَرِيمٍ ﴿١١﴾ إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْي
الْمَوْتِى وَنَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا وَاثَّارَهُمُ ﴿ وَكُلِّ شَىْءٍ أَحْصَيْنُهُ فِىُ إِمَامِ
مُّبِيْنٍ ﴿٢°﴾
Ya Sin [1] By the Qur'an, that is full of wisdom, [2] You
are truly one of the messengers, [3] on a straight path
1. Today, when I am beginning the Tafsir of Surah Ya Sin, this is the ninth day of the month of Safar.
On the same day in the Hijrah year 1355, my respected father, Maulana Muhammad Yasin, may
Allah have mercy on him, had died. His association with the name of this Surah and the date of his
death revived fond memories of him. Generous readers are requested to pray for the forgiveness of
this humble writer and his parents, and should someone have the heart to recite Surah Ya Sin and
pray for the transmittal of its thawab to them, then, Subhanallah, it wll be so nice of them. - the
author.

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Surah Ya Sin : 36 : 1 - 12
[4], (this Qur'an being) a revelation from the All-
Mighty, the Very-Merciful, [5] so that you may warn a
people whose fathers were not warned, and hence, they
are unaware. [6] The word has indeed come true about
most of them, so they will not believe. [7] Surely We
have placed iron collars on their necks, so they are
reaching upto their chins, and their heads are forced to
remain upraised. [8] And We have placed a barrier in
front of them and a barrier behind them, and (thus)
they are encircled by Us ; so they do not see. [9] And it is
all equal for them whether you warn them or do not
warn them, they will not believe. [10] You can (usefully)
warn only the one who follows the advice and fears the
Rahman (the All-Merciful) unseen. So give him the good
news of forgiveness and of a noble reward. [11] Surely
We will give new life to the dead, and We are recording
whatever (deeds) they send ahead and whatever effects
they leave behind. And every thing is fully computed by
Us in a manifest source-book. [12]
Commentary
The Merits of Surah Ya Sin
Sayyidna Ma'qil Ibn Yasar 4
narrates that the Holy Prophet
said :يس قَلْبُ الْقُرْآن (Surah Ya Sin is the heart of the Qur'an) and some
words of this Hadith tell us that a person who recites Surah Ya Sin
exclusively for the sake of Allah and the 'Akhirah is forgiven, and that it
should be recited over the dead among us (reported by Ahmad and Abu Dawud
and an-Nasal and Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim and others - as in Ruh-ul- Ma'ani and
al-Mazharī).
Imam al-Ghazzali said that one reason for calling Surah Ya Sin the
heart of the Qur'an could be that, in this Surah, themes relating to the
Day of Judgment and the Resurrection have appeared with particular
details and eloquent presentation. Then, out of the principles of faith,
there is the belief in the Hereafter, something on which depends the
soundness of human deeds. The fear of the Hereafter makes one ready for
good deeds and this is what stops one from indulging in desires that are
impermissible and things that are unlawful. So, the way soundness of the
body depends on the soundness of the heart, similarly the soundness of
the faith ('Iman) depends on the concern for the Hereafter (Ruh). And the
way Ya Sin is a well recognized name of this Surah, it is named in a
Hadith also as 'Azimah (reported by Abu Nasr as-Sajazī from Sayyidah 'A'ishah

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Surah Ya Sin : 36 : 1 - 12
tie AU (50). And according to another Hadith the name of this Surah has
appeared in Torah as ady (Mu'immah), that is, a Surah that universalizes
its blessings in worldly life and in the Hereafter for its readers, and the
name of its reader has been given as Ash-Sharif, and it was said that his
intercession on the Day of Judgment will be accepted for a number of
people that would exceed the number of people in the tribe of Rabi'ah
(reported by Said Ibn Mansur and al-Baihaqi from Hassan Ibn 'Atiyyah)
and in some narrations, its name has also been cited as: abu ...
(mudafi'ah) that is, it removes misfortunes from its readers, while some
others mention it by the name au (Qadiyah) that is, the caretaker of
needs (Ruh-ul- Ma'ani).
And narration of Sayyidna Abu Dharr al-Ghifari Age says: The
reciting of Surah Ya Sin near a dying person makes the ordeal of death
easy on him (reported by ad-Dailami and Ibn Hibban - Mazhari).
And Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Zubayr 4
said: Whoever puts Surah
Ya Sin ahead of his need, his need is fulfilled (reported by al-Mahamili in his
'Amali - Mazhari)
And Yahya Ibn Kathir said: Whoever recites Surah Ya Sin in the
morning will remain happy until evening and whoever recites it in the
evening will be happy until morning and he said that this thing was
confided to him by a person who had experienced it (reported by Ibn al-Faris -
Mazharī).
Ya Sin (4): According to the well-known position concerning this
word, it is one of the 'isolated letters' (al-huruf-ul-muqatta at) the
knowledge of which rests with Allah alone. Hower, Ibn-ul- 'Arabi has
reported that Imam Malik has said that it is one of the names of Allah.
And a narration from Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas see also says that it is one of
the Divine Names. And according to another narration, this is a word
from the Ethiopian language that means: 'O human person' and denotes
the person of the noble Prophet 5. And, it is gathered from a saying of
Sayyidna Ibn Jubayr see that the word: Ya Sin is the name of the noble
Prophet . It appears in Ruh-ul-Ma'ani that giving the Holy Prophet
a name composed of these two elegant letters - Ya and Sin - has great
secrets behind it.

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About Giving someone the name: " (Ya Sin: written as Yasin):
Imam Malik does not like to name a person as Yasin for the reason
that, according to him, it is one of the Divine Names and its exact
meaning remains unknown. Therefore, it is possible that it may have
some meaning that is exclusive to Allah Ta'ala, and nobody is allowed to
رَازِقُ ,(al-khaliq: The Creator) الْخَالِقُ :have that name, for example
(ar-raziq: The Provider-Sustainer) and other names of this nature. Still, if
this word is written with a script that reads: J. (Yasin), it is permissible to
سَلامٌ عَلى ال يُسِينَ :give that name to a human being, because the Qur'an says
(Peace on Ilyasin or Al Yasin) (Ibn al-'Arabi). The well recognized
rendering (qira'ah) of this verse is: W) (ilyasin) but, in some
renderings, it also appears as: الِ يَاسِين (al-yasin).
The word: آباء (fathers) in verse 6:ْلِتُنُذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أُنْذِرَ ابَاؤُهُم (so that you may
warn a people whose fathers were not warned) means the Arabs. The
sense is that no warner, that is, a prophet, has come to their ancestors
since a long time, the reference being to the ones nearer among them.
Since the coming of their patriarch, Sayyidna Ibrahim & and with him,
Sayyidna Isma'il tell, no prophet had appeared among the Arabs for
several centuries, even though, the work of calling people to the true faith
with warnings and glad tidings kept going on as mentioned in the verse
of the Qur'an: ◌ٌوَإِنُ مِّنَ أُمَّةٍ إِلاَّ خَلا فِيُهَا نَذِير (and there was no community without a
warner having passed among them - 35:24) also confirms the same truth -
that Divine mercy has never kept any nation or community deprived of
the essential call and warning at any time and in any region. But, it is
obvious that teachings of prophets when communicated by their deputies
do not bring about the same effect as it is witnessed when the prophets do
it in person. Therefore, in the present verse, it was said about the Arabs
that no warner came to them. As a fall out of this situation, there was no
regular system of education in Arabia where people could learn and teach
which was why they came to be called: 3 (ummiyyun: the unlettered
ones).
Verses 7 and 8:لَقَدُ حَقَّ الْقَوُلُ عَلَى أَكْثَرِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَايُؤْمِنُونَ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا فِىِّ أَعْنَاقِهِمْ أَغْلًَّا (The
word has indeed come true about most of them, so they will not believe.
Surely We have placed iron collars on their necks, so they are reaching up
to their chins, and their heads are forced to remain upraised.) mean that
Allah Ta'ala has already placed before human beings two alternate ways

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of life - the way of kufr (disbelief) and 'Iman (faith) and the way of
Jannah (Paradise) and Jahannam (the Hell) - and to give direction and
substance to this call of faith, He also sent prophets and Books. In fact,
He went further ahead by giving human beings the choice to first identify
what is good or bad for one and then take to either of the two ways. Now
if there is that unfortunate person who does neither think, nor ponders
over proofs spread throughout nature, nor listens to the call of the
prophets, nor deliberates in the Book of Allah, then, once this person has
made a choice and has taken to a way thus chosen, Allah Ta'ala
assembles for him everything he needs to achieve that end. One who
embraces the wont of disbelief, for him the supply of things and
circumstances that would increase his disbelief never run short. This is
what has been expressed as: ◌َ7) لَقَدُ حَقَّ الْقَوُلُ عَلَى أَكْثَرِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُون) which means
that against most of these people, because of their choice of the evil, the
decisive verdict of Allah - that they are not going to believe - already
stands pronounced.
Given next is a similitude of their condition by saying that they look
like people whose necks have been shackled in a manner that causes their
faces and eyes stay upraised rendering them totally unable to see their
way on the ground. If so, it is obvious that one cannot remain safe
against the likelihood of falling down into some ditch or abyss.
Then comes another similitude. It was said that it is like a wall having
been placed as a barrier all around someone. Thus surrounded, this
person becomes unaware of what is going on outside. Similarly, these
infidels are surrounded by their ignorance and, on top of it, by their
hostility and doggedness. Under these conditions, it is as if the truth
present elsewhere simply does not reach them.
Imam Razi has said that there are two kinds of barriers against
perception. One barrier is of the kind that prevents one from seeing even
himself. The second barrier is the inability to see one's surrounding. For
the disbelievers, both kinds of barriers against seeing the truth were
present. Therefore, the first example is that of the first barrier, that is,
one who cannot bend his neck to lower his eyes cannot see even his own
self or the state in which he exists. Then the second example is that of the
second barrier that stops one from seeing his surrounding. (Ruh-ul- Ma'ani)

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The majority of commentators have declared the present verse to be a
similitude of their disbelief and hostility only. And some commentators, on
the basis of some narrations, have taken it to be the description of an
event, that is, Abu Jahl and some others, bent on killing or hurting the
Holy Prophet 5, lunged towards him but Allah Ta'ala cast curtain over
their eyes. Thus, rendered helpless, they went back. Many similar events
have been reported in books of Tafsir, such as, Ibn Kathir,
Ruh-ul-Ma'ani, al-Qurtubi, Mazhari and others. But, most of these are
weak narrations. The Tafsir of the verse cannot be based on such sources.
In verse 12, by saying: ◌ْوَنَكْتُبُ مَاقَدَّ مُوا وَاثَّارَهُم (and We are recording
whatever (deeds) they send ahead and whatever effects they leave
behind.), the doing of deeds has been equated with 'sending ahead' to
point out that good or bad deeds done in the mortal world have not gone
the way of all flesh right here. Instead of that, these were their
wherewithal, their baggage that has gone ahead of them to their
destination in the next world that they have to confront. Now, if these
deeds were good, they will make them look handsome in Paradise, and if
they were bad, the embers of Hell will be their fate. The real purpose of
'recording' these deeds is to keep them preserved. Writing too is a means
of doing that, so that there remain no probability of error, forgetfulness,
increase or decrease.
The effects of deeds are also recorded like the deeds themselves
The terse statement: Att, (wa 'atharahum: and their effects) in Verse
12 means that the way deeds done by them are written, so are their
effects too. The word: „UT ('athar: traces, or effects) denotes fruits,
outcomes and consequences that show up later and keep surviving. For
example, someone helped people learn their religion, told them about its
injunctions or wrote a book for to enable them to get the best out of their
faith, or instituted some sort of endowment that turned out to be
beneficial for people after him and, for that matter, did something that
brought benefit to common Muslims, then, as far as the effects of this
good deed remain, and as long as they bring fruits, they all will continue
to be written in his Book of Deeds. Similar is the case of bad deeds, the
evil fruits and effects of which continue to remain in the world. For
example, someone instituted oppressive laws, or institutions that tend to
corrupt the human deeds and morals, or made people follow the way of

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error and evil, then, as far as and as long as the evil outcomes of his deed
keep taking shape, these will continue to be recorded in his Book of Deeds
- as it has been said by the Holy Prophet 25 himself while explaining this
verse. Narrates Sayyidna Jarir Ibn 'Abdullah al-Bajali dge that the Holy
Prophet % said:
مَنْ سَنَّ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً فَلَهُ أَجْرُهَا وَأَجْرُ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مِنْ غَيْرٍ أَنْ يُنْقَصَ مِنْ
أُجُوُرِهِمُ شَيْئاً وَّمَنْ سَنَّ سُنَّةً سَيِّئَةً كَانَ عَلَيْهِ وزرُها وَ وِزْرُمَنُ عَمِل بِهَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ لَا
يُنْقَصُ مِنْ أَوْزَارِهِمْ شَيْئًا، ثُمَّ تَلَاَ وَنَكُتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوا وَاثَّارَهُمُ، (ابن كثير عن ابن ابى حاتم)
"Whoever started a good practice, he will have its reward, and
the reward of whoever acts in accordance with it after him,
without the least decrease in the reward of others acting upon
it. And whoever started a bad practice, on him shall be its sin
along with the sin of whoever acts in accordance with it after
him, without the least decrease in the sins of others acting upon
it" - Ibn Kathir from Ibn Abi Hatim.
The word: „ti ('athar: traces or effects) is also used in the sense of
footprints. As in Hadith, when one walks to the Masjid, one good deed is
recorded at every step he takes. Some Hadith narrations seem to indicate
that the word: JU'] ('athar: traces) appearing in this verse refers to these
very footprints. The way the reward of Salah is written down, similarly,
on every step taken while going for Salah, one good deed is recorded. At
this stage in his Tafsir, Ibn Kathir has put together all narrations that
mention that there were many people in Madinah whose homes were at
some distance from the Prophet's Masjid. They thought of setting up their
homes closer to the Masjid. The Holy Prophet
told them not to do that.
He advised them: Live where you do. When you walk in from afar, do not
take this time to have been wasted. The more your steps, the more shall
be your reward.
There could be a possible doubt here in that the present Surah is
Makki, while the event mentioned in these Hadith belongs to Madinah.
This could be answered by saying that the verse might as well be in its
general sense - that is, the traces of deeds are also written - and that this
verse may have been revealed in Makkah. But thereafter, when this
event came to pass in Madinah, he mentioned this verse in support. Then
he counted footprints too within the effects and traces the writing of
which has been mentioned in this verse of the Qur'an. This way the

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apparent contradiction between these two explanations also stands
removed (as explicated and preferred by Ibn Kathir).
Verses 13 - 32
وَاضْرِبُ لَهُمُ مَّثَلًا أَصُحِبَ الْقَرْيَةِ، إِذْجَآءَهَا الْمُرُسَلُونَ ﴿١٣﴾ إِذْ
أَرْسَلْنَآَ إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنٍ فَكَذَّبُوُهُمَا فَعَّرْنَا بِثَالِثٍ فَقَالُوا إِنَّ إِلَيْكُمُ
مُّرُسَلُونَ ﴿١٤﴾ قَالُوا مَآ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُنَا ( وَمَآ أَنْزَلَ الرَّحْمُنُ مِنْ
شَىْءٍ " إِنُ أَنْتُمُ إِلَّا تَكْذِبُونَ ﴿١٥﴾ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا يَعْلَمُ إِنَّ إِلَيْكُمُ
لَمُرُسَلُونَ ﴿١٦﴾ وَمَا عَلَيْنَآ إِلَّا الْبَلْغُ الْمُبِيْنُ ﴿١٧﴾ قَالُوا إِنَّا تَطَيَّرْنَا
بِكُمْ لَئِنُ لَّمُ تَنْتَهُوْا لَنَرْجُمَنَّكُمُ وَلَيَمَسَّنَّكُمُ مِنَّا عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿١٨﴾
قَالُوْا طَآئِرُكُمُ مَّعَكُمُ +ُ أَئِنُ ذُكِّرْتُمُ +ُ بَلْ أَنْتُمُ قَوْمٌ مُّسُرِفُونَ ﴿١٩﴾
وَجَآءَ مِنْ أَقُصَا الْمَدِيْنَةِ رَجُلٌ يَّسُغِى قَالَ يَقَوْمِ اتَّبِعُوا الْمُرْسَلِيْنَ
﴿ ٢ ﴾ اتَّبِعُوا مَنُ لَّا يَسْئَلُكُمُ اَجْرًا وَّهُمْ مُّهُتَدُونَ ﴿٢١﴾ وَمَا لِىَ لَّ
أَعْبُدُ الَّذِىُ فَطَرَنِىُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرُجَعُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾ وَ أَتَّخِذُ مِنْ دُوُنِةِ آلِهَةَ إِنْ
يُرِدْنِ الرَّحُمُنُ بِضُرٍّ لَّاتُغْنِ عَنِّى شَفَاعَتُهُمُ شَيْئًا وَّلَا يُنُقِذُوْنِ ﴿٢﴾
إِنّى إِذًا لَّفِىُ ضَللٍ مُّبِيْنٍ ﴿٢٤﴾ إِنّى امَنْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ فَاسْمَعُوُنِ ﴿٢٥﴾
قِيْلَ ادْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ * قَالَ لَيْتَ قَوْمِىُ يَعْلَّمُونَ ﴿٢﴾ بِمَا غَفَرَِىُ رَبِّىُ
وَجَعَلَنِىُ مِنَ الْمُكْرَمِيْنَ ﴿٢٧﴾ وَمَآ أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَى قَوْمِهِ مِنْ بَعُدِهِ مِنْ
جُنْدٍ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَمَا كُنَّا مُنْزِلِيْنَ ﴿٢٨﴾ إِنْ كَانَتُ إِلَّ صَيْحَةً
وَّاحِدَةً فَإِذَاهُمُ حُمِدُونَ ﴿٢٩﴾ يحَسُرَةً عَلَى الْعِبَادِءَ مَا يَأْتِيُهِمُ مِّنْ
رَّسُوْلٍ إِلَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُوُنَ ﴿٣٠﴾ ◌َلَمُ يَرَوْاكَمْ أَهْلَكُنَا قَبْلَهُمُ مِّنَ
الْقُرُوُنِ أَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ ﴿١ٌ﴾ وَإِنْ كُلٌّ لَّمَّا جَمِيْعٌ لَّدَيْنَا
ع
مُحْضَرُونَ ﴿٣٢)

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Surah Ya Sin : 36 : 13 - 32
And cite to them the example of the People of the Town,
when the messengers came to it, [13] when We sent to
them two (apostles), and they rejected them both, so We
supported them with a third one. So they said, "We are
sent to you. " [14] They (The people of the Town) said, "
You are no more than human beings like us, and the
Rahman has not sent down any thing. You are but
telling a lie." [15] They ( the messengers) said," Our Lord
knows that we are undoubtedly sent to you. [16] And
our obligation is no more than to convey the message
clearly." [17] They (the People of the Town) said," We
take you as a bad omen for us. If you do not desist, we
will certainly stone you, and you will be subjected to a
painful punishment from us. [18] They said, "Your bad
omen is with yourselves. (Do you take it as bad omen)
if you are given a good counsel? Rather, you are a
people who cross all limits." [19] And there came a man
rushing from the farthest part of the city. He said, " O
my people, follow the messengers. [20] Follow those who
do not claim any reward from you, and they are on the
right path. [21] And what excuse do I have if I do not
worship the One who has created me and to whom you
will be returned? [22] Shall I adopt those gods besides
Him that if the Rahman intends to do harm to me, their
intercession cannot help me in the least, nor can they
come to my rescue? [23] In that case, I will be in open
error indeed. [24] Undoubtedly I have believed in your
Lord; so listen to me." [25] ( Thereafter when his people
killed him,) it was said to him, " Enter the Paradise". He
said," Would that my people knew [26] how my Lord has
forgiven me and placed me among the honored ones!"
[27] And We did not send down to his people any army
from the heavens after him, nor were We ( in need ) to
send down. [28] It was no more than a single Cry, and in
no time they were extinguished. [29]
Alas for the slaves (of Allah)! No messenger came to
them, but they have been mocking at him. [30] Did they
not see how many generations We have destroyed before
them who will not come back to them? [31] And all of
them are but to be assembled together ( and ) to be
arraigned before Us. [32]
Commentary
وَاضْرِبُ لَهُمْ مَّثَلًا أَصُحبَ : 13 cite an example) in verse) ضرب مثل :The expression
d'al (And cite to them the example of the People of the Town) is generally

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Surah Ya Sin : 36 : 13 - 32
used to prove something by giving the example of a similar thing. The
following event has been narrated by the Holy Qur'an to alert people
against disbelievers who rejected the very notion of there being a prophet
or messenger.
The town in which this event took place
The Qur'an does not tell us the name of this town. In historical
narrations, Muhammad Ibn Ishaq has reported from Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas que, Ka'b Ahbar and Wahb Ibn Munabbih that it was the town of
Anțakiyah (Antioch) and majority of commentators have opted for it. Abu
Hayyan and Ibn Kathir have said that no statement counter to it has
been reported from any of the commentators. According to details given in
Mu'jim-ul-Buldan, Antakiyah is a well-known town of Syria, famous, for
its verdant growth and stability. Its fort and its protective wall around the
town are considered ideal. The town has many churches with inlay work
in gold and silver. This is a coastal town. During the Islamic period, it was
conquered by the famous Sahabi Sayyidna Abu 'Ubaidah Ibn Jarrah dep.
Yaqut al-Hamawi, the author of Mu'jim-ul-Buldan has also written that
the grave of Habib Najjar (whose story appears a little later in this verse)
is a known site in Anțakiyah. People from far and near come to visit it.
From this clear statement from him also, it seems likely that the town
mentioned in this verse is this very town of Anțakiyah.
Ibn Kathir has written that Antakiyah is one of the four major towns
which have been deemed to be the centers of the Christian faith, that is,
al-Quds, (Jerusalem), Rumiyyah (Rome), Iskandariyyah (Alexandria)
and Anțakiyah (Antioch). And he also said that Antakiyah is the first city
that embraced the faith brought by Sayyidna 'Isa al-Masih Sal. It is on
this very ground that Ibn Kathir is reluctant in accepting that the town
mentioned in this verse could be the famous town of Antakiyah - because,
according to the explicit statement of the Qur'an, this was a town of
disbelievers who refused to accept any prophet or messenger. And
according to historical accounts, they were idolaters and polytheists. If so,
how can Antakiyah, that was foremost in welcoming and embracing the
faith of Sayyidna 'Isa al-Masih Meal, be the town referred to here?
In addition to that, it is also proved from the cited verses of the Qur'an
that this whole town was hit by a punishment that left no one alive. No
such event about the town of Antakiyah - that all its inhabitants had

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simultaneously died at some time - has been reported in history.
Therefore, according to Ibn Kathir, either the town mentioned in this
verse is some town other than Antakiyah, or that it is some other town
bearing the same name of Antakiyah which is not the famous town of
Anțakiyah.
Though, the author of Fath-ul-Mannan has also given answers to the
doubts expressed by Ibn Kathir, however, the easiest way out has been
offered by Maulana Ashraf 'All Thanavi in Tafsir Bayan-ul-Qur'an. To
understand the subject of these verses of the Qur'an, he says, it is not
necessary to determine the location of this town, and since the noble
Qur'an has kept it ambiguous, there is just no need to exert so much
effort to determine it. The famous saying of the early forbears of Islam
that : ◌ُأَبُهُمُوا مَا أَبُهَمَهُ اللَّه (Leave ambiguous that which Allah has left
ambiguous) also requires nothing but this.
إِذْجَآءَهَا الْمُرُسَلُونَ إِذْ أَرْسَلْنَآ إِلَيْهِمُ اثْنَيْنٍ فَكَذَّبُوُهُمَا: 13 In the next sentence of verse
when the messengers came to it ... - 13). The) فَعَزَّزْنَا بِثَالِثٍ فَقَالُوْا إِنَّ إِلَيْكُمْ مُرُسَلُونَ
text has briefly mentioned the coming of messengers to the town. The
number of the messengers sent has been identified in verse 14: 41 LA (Les!
when We sent to them two (apostles), and they rejected them) إِلَيْكُمُ مُرُسَلُونَ
both, so We supported them with a third one. So they said, "We are sent
to you".) This shows that three messengers were sent to the said town.
First came two, the people of the town rejected them and refused to listen
to them. Then Allah Ta'ala strengthened them by sending the third
messenger. After that, all three addressed the people of the town, telling
them that they had been sent to guide them to the straight path.
What does 'messenger' mean? Who were these people?
In the Qur'an, the word: Ja, (rasul: messenger) and: ~ (mursal:
sent) is generally used for a prophet or apostle of Allah. In this verse,
Allah Ta'ala has attributed their sending to Himself. This too indicates
that they are prophets who have been sent to accomplish some mission.
This is what Ibn Ishaq reports from Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas dee, Ka'b Ahbar
and Wahb Ibn Munabbih. According to the reports, these three elders
mentioned as the ones sent to this town were the prophets of Allah. Their
names as given in this narration are Sadiq, Saduq and Shalum, while in
another narration, the name of the third appears as Sham'un. (Ibn Kathir)

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And it has been reported from Sayyidna Qatadah see that the word:
3;y (mursalun: sent ones) has not been used here in its technical sense,
instead, it appears in the sense of a bearer of message, and the three
elders who were sent to this town were no prophets themselves, rather,
were from among the disciples of Sayyidna 'Isa Meal and were sent for the
guidance of this town under his order (Ibn Kathir). And since their sender,
Sayyidna 'Isa MAwas a messenger of Allah, therefore, in a way, his
sending was indirectly the sending of Allah Ta'ala. Hence, his sending
has been attributed to Allah Ta'ala. Out of the commentators, Ibn Kathir
has opted for the first saying while al-Qurtubi and others have gone by
the second. From the apparent sense of the text of the Qur'an too, it is
generally gathered that these blessed souls were prophets of Allah. Allah
knows best.
The word:تَطَيُّر (tatayyur) in verse 18:ْقَالُوا إِنَّا تَطَيَّرُنَابِكُم (We take you as a
bad omen for us.) means the seeing of an evil omen in someone or taking
someone to be wretched. It is being said here that the people of this town
did not listen to these blessed souls sent to them and chided them as being
wretched or carriers of misfortune. It appears in some narrations that a
famine had overtaken this town, because the people of the town had
curtly turned down the good counsel of the messengers. That is why the
people of the town called them wretched, or may be they were hurt in
some other way. So, as is the common habit of disbelievers, they would
hasten to attribute any distress that afflicts them to prophets and the
righteous who are nothing but their guides and benefactors. Hence, in
this case too, they lost no time and attributed their own wretchedness to
these blessed elders. This happens to be similar to what has been said in
فَإِذَا جَآءَ تُهُمُ الْحَسَنَةُ قَالُوا لَنَا: الشَّيْئا the Qur'an about the people of Sayyidna Musa
So when something good come to them) هذِهِ وَإِنْ تُصِبُهُمُ سَيّئَةٌ يَّطَّيِّرُوْا بِمُوسَى وَمَنُ مَّعَه،
they said, "This is our right". And if they suffered from something evil,
they ascribed it as an ill omen to Musa and those with him - 7:131).
تَطَيَّرُنَا بِكَ وَبِمَنُ مَّعَكَ :said to him الكلية Similarly, the people of Sayyidna Salih
(They said, "we regard you and those with you as a sign of bad omen". -
27:47).
The sense of the statement: ◌ْقَالُوا طَآئِرُكُمُ مَّعَكُم (They said, "Your bad omen
is with yourselves - 19) is that misfortune is an outcome of your own

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deeds.' The word: sub (ta'ir) essentially denotes bad omen or misfortune
and, on occasions, it is also used to refer to the effects of misfortune, that
is, wretchedness. Here, this is what it means. (Ibn Kathir, Qurțubi)
In verse 20, it was said: وَجَاءَ مِنُ أَقْصَى الْمَدِيْنَةِ رَجُلٌ يَّسُعى (And there came a
man rushing from the farthest part of the city.) In the first verse (13), the
place where this incident transpired was expressed as: adi (al-qaryah:
town) which, according to the Arabic lexical usage, does not signify a
small village, instead, it means a habitation in the absolute sense. It may
be a small habitation or a big city. Now, in this verse, this place has been
identified as: ad JI (al-madinah), a name used only for a big city . From
here, we learn that the habitation where this event took place was some
big city. Hence, this too supports the saying where it has been identified
as Antakiyah. The expression: أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَه (aqsal-madinah: farthest part of
the city) means outskirts of the city. The word: (yasa: rushing) in the
phrase:رَجُلٌ يَّسُفى has been derived from : يَسُعى، سَعى (run) which means to
walk in a running gait. Therefore, the expression would mean that a man
came running from the farthest part of the city. Then, there are occasions
when this word is also used in the sense of walking with concern, poise
and sense of purpose to be accomplished - which may not include running
. as in Surah Al-Jumurah: ◌ِفَاسْعَوُا إِلَى ذِكُرِ اللَّه (fas 'aw ila dhikril-lah: hasten
for the remembrance of Allah (Khutbah and Salah of Jumu'ah) - 62:9). Here,
this very sense is intended.
The event relating to the person coming from the farthest part of
the city
The noble Qur'an has left this too as ambiguous. It does not mention
his name, nor does it say who he was. As part of historical narrations, Ibn
Ishaq has reported from Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas, Ka'b al-Ahbar And Wahb
Ibn Munabbih that the name of this person was Habib. There are
different sayings about his profession. The most famous is the one that
says that he was a carpenter. (Ibn Kathir).
Other historical narrations reported by commentators at this stage tell
us that this person too was initially an idolater. He happened to meet the
two messengers who came to this town the first time. It was either as a
result of their teachings or, as it appears in some narrations, by seeing
extraordinary working of wonders at their hands, his heart was lit with
faith. He repented from past idolatry, embraced Islam and retired to a