النص المفهرس

734
Sūrah Az-Zukhruf : 43 : 57 - 65
revealed these verses in such a comprehensive manner that took care of
all the three objections. The answer to the last objection is quite clear in
these verses as to those who started worshipping Sayyidna 'Isa Skall did
not do so in obedience to any Divine command, nor had Sayyidna 'Īsa
Skyl ever desired it for himself, nor does the Qur'an support it. Their
misconception was based on the miraculous birth of Sayyidna 'Isa Skyl
without a father which was, according to them, a sign of his being god or
a son of God. The Holy Qur'an has refuted this misconceived argument.
How is it then possible that the Holy Prophet
will claim Godhead in
imitation of the Christians?
The gist of the objection mentioned in the first and second narrations
is essentially the same. The statement in the Qur'an that all those who
are worshipped except Allah will become fuel for Hell or the statement of
the Holy Prophet
that there is no good in whatever is worshipped
except Allah, refer to the lifeless objects of worship, such as idols or those
living beings who directed their followers towards their own worship, or
who liked to be worshipped, such as shaitans, Fir'aun, Namrud, etc .. So
Sayyidna 'Isa Sell is obviously not included in this category, since at no
stage did he like to be worshipped. Christians do not worship him because
of any direction having being given by Sayyidna 'Isa &, rather they
were misled and started worshipping him by deducing the wrong
conclusion from his birth without a father which was a sample of Allah's
power to show to the people that Allah does not need even any apparent
cause or means to create something. This worship of Sayyidna 'Isa
by Christians was not only irrational, but also against his own teachings,
because he had always preached 'tauhid' (Oneness of Allah); his own
disgust against being worshipped simply does not allow his inclusion in
the ranks of false gods.
and if we will, We may create) وَلَوُنَشَآءُ لَجَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمُ مَّلَئِكَةً فِى الْأَرُضِ يَخْلُفُوْنَ
angels from you who succeed you on the earth ... 43:60) This is in reply to
the gravely mistaken conclusion drawn by Christians from the miraculous
birth of Sayyidna 'Isa MA without a father as a result of which they
attributed godhead to him, and started worshipping him. Allah Ta'ala
states to controvert their argument that Sayyidna 'Isa's & birth was
merely a demonstration of His power, and He has the power to do even
more supernatural things like creating Sayyidna 'Adam & without

735
Surah Az-Zukhruf : 43 : 66 - 77
father and mother. And if He wills, He may do as unprecedented things
as causing angels to be born out of human beings.
is a source of knowledge of the Hour (العلمية And he (Isa) وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلُمٌ لِّلِسَّاعَةِ
[the day of judgement] - 43:61). This verse has been explained in two
different ways. One is that Sayyidna 'Isa Meal being born without a
father is a proof to the fact that Allah Almighty can create people without
apparent causes. Thus resurrecting the dead is not at all difficult for Him.
But most exegetes have taken this verse in another sense. According to
them it means that the descent of Sayyidna 'Isa Scal from the sky is a
sign of the Doomsday. And his coming to this world again in its last days
and killing Dajjal (the Antichrist) is proved by mutawatir ahadith. Some
details on this subject have already been given in the explanation of the
verse (3:54,55) of Surah 'Al-'Imran, (See V,2, pp.76 onward of this book) and in
Surah Nisa' 3:54,55 (See V. 2, PP. 622 onward of this book) and some in Surah
Al-Ma'idah (5:110). For more details one should refer to the author's book
At-Tasrih bi ma tawatara fi nuzul-il-Masth in "التصريح بما تواتر فى نزول المسيح"
Arabic and "U. S.fy& " Masih-e-Mau'ud ki pehchan in Urdu.
and to explain to you some of those matters) وَلُأَبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِىُ تَخْتِلِفُونَ فِيْهِ
in which you differ ... 43:63) Since Banu Isra'il were drowned in arrogance
and obstinacy, they had tampered with the Divine laws. Sayyidna 'Isa
disclosed the reality of such distortions. The words 'some matters' are
used because some other matters were purely of mundane nature. He
might have not felt the need to deal with those differences.
(Bayan-ul-Qur'an).
Verses 66 - 77
هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّ السَّاعَةَ أَنْ تَأْتِيَهُمُ بَغْتَةً وَّهُمُ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿٦٦﴾
اَلْآَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿٢﴾﴾ يعِبَادِ
لاَخَوْفٌ عَلَيْكُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَلَّا أَنْتُمُ تَحْزَنُونَ ﴿1﴾ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا بِيِنَا
وَكَانُوا مُسُلِمِيْنَ ﴿٢﴾ أُدُخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ أَنْتُمُ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ تُحْبَرُوْنَ
﴿٧٠﴾ يُطَافُ عَلَيْهِمُ بِصِحَافٍ مِّنُ ذَهَبٍ وَأَكْوَابٌٍ وَفِيُهَا

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Surah Az-Zukhruf : 43 : 66 - 77
مَا تَشْتَهِيْهِ الْأَنْفُسُ وَتَلَذُّ الْأَعْيُنُ ، وَأَنْتُمُ فِيْهَا خُلِدُونَ ﴿٧١﴾ وَتِلْكَ
الْجَنَّةُ الَّتِى أُوْرِثْتُمُوُهَا بِمَا كُنْتُمُ تَعُمَلُونَ ﴿٧٢﴾ لَكُمْ فِيْهَا فَاكِهَةٌ
كَثِيْرَةٌ مِّنْهَا تَأْكُلُونَ ﴿٧٣﴾ إِنَّ الْمُجْرِمِيْنَ فِىُ عَذَابٍ جَهَنْمَ خُلِدُونَ
﴿١٤﴾ لَا يُفَتَّرُعَنْهُمُ وَهُمُ فِيْهِ مُبْلِسُونَ ﴿١٥﴾ وَمَا ظَلَمُنْهُمُ وَلَكِنُ
كَانُوا هُمُ الظَّلِمِيْنَ ﴿٧٦﴾ وَنَادَوْا يَمْلِكُ لِيَقْضِ عَلَيْنَا رَبُّكَ ﴾ قَالَ
إِنَّكُمُ مُّكِنُونَ ﴿٧٧﴾
They are waiting for nothing but for the Hour to come
upon them suddenly, while they will not even imagine
(it). [66] Friends, on that day, will become enemies to
one another, except the God-fearing, [67] (to whom it
will be said) "O my slaves, there is no fear for you
today, nor will you grieve- [68]-(that is, O) those
(slaves) who believed in Our signs, and remained
obedient. [69] -- Enter the Paradise, you and your
spouses, showered with bliss." [70] Circulated among
them will be the bowls of gold, and glasses. And therein
will be whatever souls desire and that in which eyes
delight. "And you will be living in it for ever. [71] And
that is the Paradise that you are made to inherit
because of what you used to do. [72] For you there are
fruits in abundance from which you will eat." [73] The
sinners (on the other hand) will be in the punishment
of Jahannam, living there for ever. [74] It will not be
lightened for them, and they will be there, devoid of all
hopes. [75] And We did not do injustice to them, rather,
they themselves were the unjust. [76] And they will call
(Malik, the keeper of the hell,) "O Malik, let your Lord
do away with us." He will say, " You have to stay on." [77]
Commentary
The only real friendship is that which is in the sake of Allah
Friends, on that day, will become) الآَخِلاَءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضِ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّ الْمُتَّقِيْنَ
enemies to one another, except the God-fearing 43:67). This verse tells us
plainly that the friendly relations in which we take so much pride in this
world, and for which we don't even care about halal (permitted) and
haram (unlawful), will be of no use on the Day of judgment, rather they
will turn into enmity. In this connection, Hafiz Ibn Kathir has reproduced

737
Surah Az-Zukhruf : 43 : 66 - 77
a discourse of Sayyidna 'Ali
narrated by 'Abdur Razzaq in his
Musannaf and by Ibn Abi Hatim regarding two Muslim friends and two
Non-Muslim friends. One of the Muslim friends died and when he was
given the glad tidings of Paradise, he recollected his friend and
supplicated in his favour: "O Allah! That friend of mine used to advise me
to obey You and to obey the Holy Prophet , he used to direct me
towards virtues and to prevent me from vices, and kept on reminding me
that one day I would have to meet You. So O Allah! Do not misguide him
after me, so that he may also see the scenes of Paradise as You have
shown to me, and be pleased with him, as you have been with me." In
reply, it will be said to him, "Do not worry, if you know what reward I
have stored for your friend, you will weep less and laugh more." Later,
when the friend will also have died, both the souls will get together and
Allah Ta'ala will direct them that each one of them should praise the
other. Thereupon, each one of them will say about the other that he is the
best brother, best companion and the best friend.
As against this, when one of the Non-Muslim friends will die, and he
will be told that he will go to Hell, he will recollect his friend and will
supplicate thus "O Allah! That friend of mine used to insist upon me to
disobey You and your messenger, used to direct me towards vices and
used to prevent me from virtues and used to tell me that I would never
meet You. So O Allah! Do not give him guidance after me, so that he may
also see the scenes of Hell, as You have shown to me, and be displeased
with him just as You have been displeased with me." Later, when the
other friend will also have died, both their souls will be get together, and
they will be directed to praise the other. Then each one of them will say
about the other, "He is the worst brother, worst companion and worst
friend. (Ibn Kathir p. 134, v.4)
Therefore the best friendship, in respect of this world as well as the
Hereafter, is the one that is for the sake of Allah. Many are the merits
stated in 'ahadith' for those two Muslims who love each other purely for
the sake of Allah. One of these merits is that they will be in the shade of
the "Arsh" (Throne) of Allah. And 'love for the sake of Allah' means to
love someone because he is a true follower of the religion prescribed by
Allah. As such, it includes sincere love for teachers of religious subjects,
spiritual guides, reformers, religious scholars and devotees of Allah, as

738
Surah Az-Zukhruf : 43 : 78 - 89
well as for all the Muslims.
Verses 78 -89
لَقَدُ جِئْنْكُمُ بِالْحَقِّ وَلكِنَّ أَكْثَرَكُمْ لِلْحَقِّ كَرِهُونَ ﴿٧٨﴾ آَمُ أَبْرَهُوُآ
أَمْرًا فَإِنَّا مُبْرِمُونَ ﴿٢٩)﴾ آَمْ يَحْسَبُوْنَ أَنَّا لَا نَسْمَعُ سِرَّهُمُ وَنَجُوئِهُمُ ـ
بَلَى وَرُسُلْنَا لَدَيْهِمْ يَكُتُبُونَ ﴿٨٠﴾ قُلْ إِنْ كَانَ لِلرَّحُمْنِ وَلَدٌمِنٌ فَأَنَا
أَوَّلُ الْغِبِدِيْنَ ﴿٨١﴾ سُبُخْنَ رَبِّ السَّمُوتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ
عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ﴿٨٢﴾ فَذَرُهُمْ يَخُوُضُوْا وَيَلْعَبُوا حَتَّى يُلْقُوْا يَوْمَهُمُ
الَّذِىُ يُؤْعَدُونَ ﴿٨٣﴾ وَهُوَ الَّذِىُ فِى السَّمَآءِ إِلهٌ وَّفِى الْأَرْضِ إِلَّ
وَهُوَ الْحَكِيْمُ الْعَلِيْمُ ﴿٨٤﴾ وَتَبْرَكَ الَّذِىُ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمُوَتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَاء وَعِنُدَهْ عِلُمُ السَّاعَةِ " وَإِلَيْهِ تُرُجَعُونَ ﴿٨٥﴾
وَلَا يَمُلِكُ الَّذِيْنَ يَدْعُوُنَ مِنْ دُوْنِهِ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلَّ مَنُ شَهِدَ بِالْحَقِّ
وَهُمُ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٨٦﴾ وَلَئِنُ سَالْتَهُمُ مَّنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُوْلُنَّ اللّهُ فَتَّى
يُؤْفَكُونَ ﴿٨٧﴾ وَقِيْلِهِ يَرَبِّ إِنَّ هَؤُلَاءٍ قَوْمٌ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿٨٨﴾ فَاصُفَحُ
عَنْهُمُ وَقُلُ سَلْمٌ ﴿ فَسَوُفَ يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿١٩﴾
Indeed We have brought to you the truth, but it is the
truth that most of you detest. [78] Is it that they have
firmly resolved to do something (harmful to Our
messenger)? Then, We have firmly resolved (to frustrate
their plan.) [79] Do they think that We do not hear their
secrets and their whispers? Why not? And Our
messengers (angels) are with them who record. [80] Say,
"Had there been a son for the Rahman, I would have
been the first to worship." [81] Pure is the Lord of the
heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne, from
what they describe (about Him). [82] So, let them
indulge (in their fallacy) and play, until they face their
Day that they are promised. [83] And He is the One who
is God to be worshipped in the sky, and God to be
worshipped on the earth. And He is the Wise, the

739
Surah Az-Zukhruf : 43 : 78 - 89
All-Knowing. [84] And Glorious is the One to whom
belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and
whatever lies between them. And with Him is the
knowledge of the Hour; and towards Him you are to be
returned. [85] And those whom they invoke besides Him
have no power to intercede, but those who bear witness
to the truth, while they have knowledge (may intercede
for the believers with Allah's permission). [86] And if
you ask them as to who has created them, they will
certainly say, "Allah". Then, to where are they driven
back (by their false desires)? [87] And (Allah has the
knowledge) of his (prophet's) saying, "O my Lord, these
are a people who do not believe." [88] ] So, turn away
from them, and say, "Salam!" (good-bye!). Then, soon
they will come to know. [89]
Commentary
,Had there been a son for the Rahman) قُلُ إِنْ كَانَ لِلرَّحُمْنِ وَلَدٌ صدفَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْغبِدِيْنَ
I would have been the first to worship - 43:81) It does not mean that, God
forbid, there is any possibility of Rahman (Allah) having offspring. What
is really being said is that the Holy Prophet
" is not denying your beliefs
due to enmity or obstinacy, but because they are illogical. If precise logical
arguments could prove the existence of offspring of Allah, he would
certainly have accepted it. But every intellectual argument contradicts
this possibility, and therefore there is no question of accepting it. This tells
us that it is lawful, rather desirable, to declare during a debate with
erring people that if their claim had been proved by strong arguments, it
would have been accepted, because such a manner of speech may
sometimes soften the heart of the opponent and may persuade him to
accept the truth.
And [Allah has the knowledge] of His) وَقِيْلِهِ يَرَبّ إِنَّ هَؤُلاءِ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُونَ
prophet's saying, "O my Lord, these are a people who do not believe."
43:88) The point made by this sentence is that there are very serious
reasons for Allah's wrath descending upon these infidels. On the one
(1) This translation is based on the construction adopted by many exegetes, including
Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi y AUl >). However, according to Imam Razi, the
translation will be as follows, " And (remember the time) of his (Prophet's)
saying ..... " This rendering seems to be closer to the text in view of the grammatical
construction of the verse. (For details, please see At-tafsir-ul-kabir, by Imam Razi
v.27, p.234) (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

740
Surah Az-Zukhruf : 43 : 78 - 89
hand, there are their severe crimes themselves, and on the other when
the Messenger
, who has been sent as a "blessing for the world" and
"interceder for the sinners", himself complains against them and says that
these people do not believe, despite repeated good counsels given to them,
it indicates that they must have agonized the Holy Prophet to an
extreme extent, otherwise "the blessing for the worlds" would not have
made such a plaint merely on an ordinary hurt.
It should be noted that the present verse has been construed in
different ways. The above translation is based on the construction
adopted by Maulana Ashraf 'All Thanawi Js dull >). Various other
constructions are given in Ruh-ul-Ma'ani.
. Jf (and say, Salam [good-bye]. Then soon they will come to
know --- 43:89). At the end of the Surah, the same advice has been given to
the Holy Prophet
that is always given to every preacher of truth. The
gist of the advice is that one may reply to the arguments and doubts of
the opponents, but when they start talking ignorantly, foolishly or are
involved in hurling abuses, then instead of replying in their language,
one should keep quiet. And the instruction to say Salam does not mean
that "Assalamu 'alaikum" is to be said to them, because this salutation is
not permissible for any non-Muslim; rather it is an idiomatic expression
for parting of ways. As such, the view of those who deduce from this verse
that saying "Assalamu 'alaikum" to non-Muslims is permissible does not
carry much weight. (Ruh-ul-Ma'ani).
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Az-Zukhruf (The Gold)
Ends here

743
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 1 - 9
Surah Ad-Dukhan
The Smoke
Surah Ad-Dukhan is Makki. It has 59 Verses and 3 Sections
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 9
لحمَ ﴿٢﴾ وَالْكِتْبِ الْمُبِيْنِ ﴿٢﴾ ◌ِنَّ أَنْزَلْنُهُ فِىُ لَيْلَةٍ مُّبْرَكَةٍ إِنَّا كُنَّا
مُنْذِرِينَ ﴿٣﴾ فِيُهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيْمٍ ﴿٤﴾ آَمْرًّا مِنْ عِنْدِنَاءُ إِنَّا كُنَّا
مُرْسِلِيْنَ ﴿﴿ رَحُمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيُمُ ﴿٢﴾ رَبِّ
السَّمْوَتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا إِنْ كُنْتُمُ مُّوْقِيْنَ ﴿٧﴾ لا إِلهَ إِلَّا
هُوَيُحُي وَيُمِيتُ ﴿ رَبُّكُمْ وَرَبُّ ابَائِكُمُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿٨﴾ بَلُ هُمُ فِىُ
شَكٍ يَّلْعَبُوُنَ ﴿٩﴾
Ha Mim. [1] By the manifest Book, [2] We have sent it
down in a blessed night, (because) We had to warn
(people). [3] In that (night), every wise thing is decided
[4] through a command from Us. We were to send the
Messenger [5] as a mercy from your Lord, - Surely, He is
the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing - [6] the Lord of the
heavens and the earth and of whatever there is between
them, if you are to believe. [7] There is no god, but He.
He gives life and brings death. He is your Lord and the
Lord of your forefathers. [8] But they, being in doubt,
are playing around. [9]

744
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 1 - 9
Commentary
The Merit of the Surah
Sayyidna Abu Hurairah de reports that the Messenger of Allah said
that whoever recites Surah Dukhan on Friday night, his sins will have
been forgiven by the morning. Sayyidna Umamah 4ce narrates that the
Messenger of Allah said anyone who recites Surah Dukhan on Friday, in
the night or in the day, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.
(Qurțubi on the authority of Tha'labi).
In the present set of verses, the greatness of Qur'an and some of its
special features are described. ◌ِوَالْكِتَابِ الْمُبِين "By the manifest Book". This
verse refers to the Holy 'Qur'an'. In the verse Allah swears an oath by the
magnificent Qur'an to state that it was revealed in a blessed and
auspicious Night, the purpose of which is to awaken the unmindful
human beings from their deep slumber. A similar oath was taken, in
exactly the same words, at the commencement of Surah Az-Zukhruf
(Chapter 43). The oath-phrase has been fully discussed there.
as is all 'blessed night', in verse 2 according to majority of the
Commentators, refers to 'laylatul Qadr' or the 'Night of Power' which
occurs in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. During this night
Allah sends down countless blessings for his slaves/servants. It has been
explicitly mentioned in Surah Al-Qadr, thus:
إِنَّ أَنْزَلْنُهُ فِىٌ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ
"We sent it (the Qur'an) down in the Night of Qadr". (97:1)
This clearly indicates that the phrase 'laylah mubarakah' (blessed
night) occurring in the verse refers to the 'Night of Power'. It is narrated
in a Tradition of the Prophet that all Prophets Shall pede, since the
inception of man till the end, received their respective Books in the month
of Ramadan on different dates. Sayyidna Qatadah 4ge reports on the
authority of Sayyidna Wathilah 4e
that the Messenger of Allah said that
Prophet Ibrahim a received his Scriptures on 1st Ramadan, Torah was
revealed on 6th Ramadan, Zabur was revealed on 12th Ramadan, Injil
was revealed on 18th Ramadan and the Holy Qur'an was revealed on the
night of 24th, that is , on 25th Ramadan . (Qurtubi).
The statement that the 'Qur'an was revealed in the Night of Power'

745
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 1 - 9
means that it was revealed in its entirety from the Preserved Tablet to the
lowest Firmament in one night of the month of Ramadan. But, it was
revealed to the Prophet ## gradually over a period of twenty-three years .
Some scholars have expressed the opinion that the installment of the
Qur'an that was destined to be revealed in a given year used to be sent
down on the Night of Power from the Preserved Tablet to the Firmament
of the Earth. (Qurtubi).
Some other scholars of Tafsir, like 'Ikrimah, interpret the phrase
'laylah mubarakah' (blessed night) as referring to 'laylat-ul-bara'ah' (the
Night of Immunity), that is, the 15th night of Sha'ban. But to say that
the Qur'an was revealed during this night goes against the clear texts of
the Qur'an: In ◌ُشَهُرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِىُّ أُنْزِلَ فِيْهِ الْقُرْآن and in ◌ِإِنَّا أَنْزَلْنُهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْر we come
across "The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur'an was
revealed ... (2:185)" and "We have sent it (the Qur'an) in the Night of Qadr
- (97:1)". In the presence of such clear texts, it cannot be accepted, without
any strong evidence, that the Qur'an was revealed in the Night of
Immunity. There are, however, certain Traditions that speak highly of
this night - that it is a night of blessings and that it is a night during
which Allah showers His mercy. Some versions of the Tradition use
exactly the same words as the Qur'an uses in the verse to describe 'laylah
mubarakah' - فِيُهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ أَمْرًا مِّنُ عِنْدِنَا "In that (night), every wise thing
is decided (4) through a command from Us ... (5)". In interpreting this
verse Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas age says that it refers to the Night of Power, in
which the Qur'an was revealed. In it all matters are decreed to happen
from the present Night of Power to the next, relating to all creation, their
births, their deaths, their provisions and other details. Other leading
authorities on Tafsir, like Sayyidna Hasan, Qatadah, Mujahid and others
concur with Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas Age. Mahdawi says that all matters
decreed by Allah are, on this night, transferred to the angelic scribes who
record the decrees of the coming year. Other texts of Qur'an and Suunah
bear testimony to the fact that Allah had decreed all matters in
pre-eternity (azal) even before the creation of man. Therefore, the
statement that man's destiny is decreed in this night simply means that
the decrees for the whole year are handed over, in this night, to the
relevant angels for implementation. (Qurțubi).
Because some versions of the Tradition state that births, deaths and

746
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 10 - 16
sustenance are decreed in the night of immunity or 15th night of
Sha'ban, some of the scholars have interpreted the phrase 'laylah
mubarakah' in the current verse as referring to 'laylat-ul-bara'ah' or 'the
Night of Immunity'. But this is not correct, because here the revelation of
the Qur'an is mentioned first; and its revelation in the month of Ramadan
is confirmed by the clear texts of the Qur'an. Some versions state that
sustenance and other things are decreed in the Night of Immunity. Ibn
Kathir, first of all, says this Tradition is mursal and such Tradition
cannot be reliable in the presence of clear/express texts. Qadi Abu Bakr
Ibn 'Arabi asserts that no authentic Tradition relating to mid-Sha'ban is
available which may show that sustenance, births and deaths are
determined and decreed in that night. He further rejects the idea that
there is any reliable Tradition on the merit of this night. Ruh-ul-Ma'ani,
however, cites a Tradition, without a chain of transmitters, narrated by
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4ee in which he says that sustenance, life and death
are determined in the mid-Sha'ban night, and in the Night of Power the
decrees are handed over to the angels. If this Tradition is confirmed, then
the two interpretations can be reconciled and synchronized. Otherwise,
the express words of Qur'an and authentic Traditions relating to 'laylah
mubarakah' and 'fiha yufraqu ... ' in the verse of Surah Dukhan 3," 4
clearly show that they refer to the 'Night of Power'. As far as the merit of
the night of mid-Sha'ban is concerned, it is a separate issue. Some
Traditions do speak about it but they are weak. Therefore, Qadi Abu Bakr
Ibn 'Arabi denied any merit of this night. Chains of transmission of
Traditions concerning mid-Sha'ban are all weak but, it may be suggested
that, if the various ways of transmission are put together, they gain
strength. Therefore, many great scholars have accepted the Traditions
about mid-Sha'ban because there is room to act upon weak Traditions
relating to meritorious actions. Allah knows best!
Verses 10 - 16
فَارْتَقِبُ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى السَّمَآءُ بِدُخَانِ مُّبِيْنٍ ﴿٢﴾ يَّغْشَى النَّاسَ ﴿ هَذَا
4
عَذَابٌ اَلِيمٌ ﴿١١﴾ رَبَّنَا الْكُشِفُ عَنَّا الْعَذَابَ إِنَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١٢) أَنّى
لَهُمُ الذِّكْرِى وَقَدْ جَآءَ هُمُ رَسُوْلٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿١٣﴾ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّوا عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا

747
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 10 - 16
مُعَلّمٌ مَّجُنُوُنُ ﴿١٤﴾ إِنَّا كَاشِفُوا الْعَذَابِ قَلِيلاً إِنَّكُمُ عَآئِدُونَ ﴿١٥﴾
يَوْمَ نَبُطِشُ الْبَطْشَةَ الْكُبُرِىٌ إِنَّا مُنْتَقِمُونَ ﴿١٦)
So, wait for a day when the sky will come up with a
visible smoke [10] that will envelop people. This is a
painful punishment. [11] (Then they will say,) " O our
Lord, remove from us the punishment; we will truly
believe." [12] How will they take lesson, while there has
already come to them a messenger making things clear,
[13] then they turned away from him, and said, " (He is)
tutored, crazy."? [14] (Well,) We are going to remove the
punishment for a while, (but) you will certainly go back
(to your original position). [15] (Then,) the day We will
seize (you) with the greatest seizure, We will take
vengeance. [16]
Commentary
: 343 " ... visible smoke" in verse (10) embodies a prophecy and the
Prophet was asked to watch for the Day when the sky will bring forth
a manifest smoke covering the people. There are three opinions recorded
about this from the Companions and their pupils.
The first view is that the smoke is one of the portents of the Day of
Judgement which will occur very close to the Day of Judgement. This
view is held by Sayyidna 'Ali al-Murtada, Ibn 'Abbas, Ibn 'Umar, Abu
Hurairah, Zaid Ibn 'All age, Hasan al-Basri Ibn Abi Mulaikah and others
¿her all new,. This view is recorded traceably on the authority of Sayyidna
Abu Said al-Khudri and Hudhaifah Ibn 'Usaid al-Ghifari (le allow,
which will be set out in detail later.
The second view is that this prophecy has already occurred. This
refers to the event when the Quraish did not respond to Islam's call and
they grew obstinate, the Apostle of Allah invoked against them that they
would suffer seven years of drought and famine as it happened in the
time of Prophet Yusuf
. They became so exhausted and hungry that
they were forced to eat bones and carrion. When they looked at the sky,
they saw nothing but smoke or smoky haze because of their exhaustion,
instead of rain-laiden clouds. This view is held by Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn
Mas'ud age and others.

748
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 10 - 16
The third view is held by Sayyidna 'Abdur-Rahman al-'A'raj and
others. They say that the 'smoke' refers to the 'dust' which had been
stirred up to the sky, and had covered the firmament of Makkah on the
day of 'the Conquest of Makkah'. (Qurtubi).
The first two views are most popular. Ibn Kathir says regarding the
third view:
هذا القول غریب جدًا بل مُنکر
"This view is gharib (unfamiliar), in fact munkar (against
authentic reports)".
The other two views are confirmed by authentic Traditions.
Ruh-ul-Ma'ani supports the second view. Tafsir Bayan-ul-Qur'an prefers
this view. It would appear that Ibn Kathir and Qurtubi prefer the first
view. Allah knows best!
Narrations relating to the two views are as follows. It is recorded in
Sahih of Muslim that Sayyidna Hudhaifah Ibn 'Usaid al-Ghifari de said:
"The Messenger of Allah looked out upon us from a room while we were
discussing the Hour. He said:
"The Hour will not come until you see ten signs. The rising of the sun
from the west; the smoke; the beast (dabbat-ul-'ard); the emergence of
Gog and Magog; the appearance of 'Isa son of Maryam; the Dajjal
(anti-Christ); three cases of the earth collapsing - one in the east, one in
the west, and one in the Arabian peninsula; and a fire that will emerge
from the bottom of Aden and will drive the people - or gather the people
- stopping with them when they stop to sleep at night or rest during the
day." (Ibn Kathir).
Ibn Jarir has recorded on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Malik
Ash'ari age that the Messenger of Allah said: "I warn you against three
things: one, the smoke which will only cause cold in a believer, but will
permeate the entire body of an unbeliever so much so that it will ooze out
from every pore and minute hole of the skin; the second thing is the beast
(of the earth which will be of a strange/unusual type); the third thing will
be Dajjal". Having cited this narration, Ibn Kathir said: liul li "This
chain of transmitters is good". Ibn Kathir has cited another narration on
the same subject vide Ibn Abi Hatim on the authority of Sayyidna Abu

749
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 10 - 16
Sa'id al-Khudri. He also cites a narration with reference to Ibn Abi Hatim
on the authority of Sayyidna 'Ali al-Murtada 4ee to the following effect:
"This prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. (It will happen close to the
Hour). This smoke will be the cause of catarrh for the believer but it will
penetrate the entire body of an unbeliever and ooze out of the tiny holes
of his skin". Ibn Jarir cites a narration on the same subject on the
authority of Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar and Ibn 'Abbas de. Ibn
Kathir cites this and writes:
هذا اسناد صحيح الى ابن عباسٌ حبرالامة وترجمان القرآن وهكذا قول من وافقه
من الصّحابة والتابعين مع الاحاديث المرفوعه من الصحاح والحسان وغيرهما
الّتى اوردوها مما فيه مقنع ودلالة ظاهرة على ان الدّخان من الآيات المنتظرة مع
انّه ظاهر القرآن (فَارْتَقِبُ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِينٍ) وعلى ما فسره ابن مسعود
انما هو خيال رأوه فى اعينهم من شدّة الجوع والجهد وهكذا قوله تعالى (يَغْشَى
النَّاسَ) او يتغشاهم ويعمهم ولو كان امرًا خياليا يخص أهل مكة المشركين لما
قیل فیه یغشی الناس.
"This chain of transmitters is authentic up to Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas de, the scholar of the Ummah, interpreter of the
Qur'an. This is the view of other Companions and their pupils
who concur with Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
, together with
prophetic Traditions - some being sahih and others hasan.
They too are sufficient to prove that the 'smoke' is one of the
portents of the Hour. It has not yet occurred, especially since
the apparent wordings of the Qur'an bear evidence to this fact.
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud's 40 popular interpretation of
the word 'smoke' refers to an imaginary smoke/an illusion
which they saw because of their intense hunger and exhaustion,
but it is inconceivable that the Qur'an would use a phrase like
that will envelop people ... (11)' because this imaginary' يغشى الناس
smoke was experienced by Makkans only. The wordings of the
phrase 'that will envelop people ... (11)" show that the smoke had
enveloped all the people.
Earlier on, Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud's dee view was given as
follows as recorded in the two Sahihs, Musnad of Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i
and others. Sayyidna Masruq 4ge narrates: 'We entered the mosque of
Kufah at the gates of kindah - and a preacher recited the verse
a day when the sky will come up with a visible smoke" السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانٍ مُّبِيْنٍ

750
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 10 - 16
(44:10)" and asked the audience : "Do you know what smoke is that ?"
Then he said that that is the smoke which will emerge on the Day of
Resurrection. It will take away the hearing and sight of the hypocrites,
but for the believers it will be like having a cold. Sayyidna Masruq
says, 'when we heard this we went to Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Masud cee
and told him about it. He was lying down, and he sat up with a start and
قُلُ مَآ أَسْئَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ :said: "Allah has given to his prophet the following direction
Say, "I do not demand from you any fee for it, nor am مِنْ اَجْرٍ وَمَآ أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِيْنَ
I from among those who make up things artificially" (38:86). This verse
proves that it is also a part of knowledge that when a man does not know
something, he should say frankly that he does not know and that the
correct knowledge is with Allah.(and he should not pretend that he knows
it) "Then he narrated a Hadith which interprets the meaning of the verse,
thus: When the Quraish did not respond to the call of Islam and grew
stubborn, the Messenger of Allah imprecated against them that they
should have years like the years of drought and famine during the time of
Sayyidna Yusuf . They became so exhausted and hungry that they
ate dead meat and bones. When they looked at the sky, they saw nothing
but smoke.
According to another report, a man would look at the sky and he
would see nothing between him and the sky except a smoky haze on
account of intensity of hunger and exhaustion. In support of his
argument he recited ◌ٍفَارْتَقِبُ يَوْمَ تَأْتِى السَّمَاءُ بِدُخَانِ مُّبِين "So, wait for a day when
the sky will come up with a visible smoke (44:10)". When this event took
place, people came up to the Prophet of Allah and requested him to pray
to Allah to send down rain to his tribe of Mudar. Otherwise, they all will
perish. So, the Holy Prophet prayed for rain for them, and the rain
came down. On that occasion the following verse was revealed bist
,We are going to remove the punishment for a while" الْعَذَابِ قَلِيلاً إِنَّكُمُ عَائِدُونَ
(but) you will certainly go back (to your original position). (44:15)" As
predicted, when they were granted ease or reprieve, they reverted to their
former state of kufr (disbelief) and Allah revealed the following verses
Then,) the day We will seize (you) with the)" نَبُطِشُ الْبَطْشَةَ الْكُبُرِىَ إِنَّا مُنْتَقِمُونَ
greatest seizure, We will take vengeance. (44:16)"
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud 4
says that بطشه كبرى "greatest
seizure" refers to the battle of Badr. After reporting this incident,

751
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 10 - 16
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud 4
says that five events have already
taken place:
(1) the smoke;
(2) the (defeat of the) Romans;
(3) the (splitting of the) moon;
(4) the seizure; and
(5) the lizam. (Ibn Kathir).
The 'smoke', according to this interpretation, refers to the drought and
famine in Makkah. The defeat of the Romans was prophesied in the
Surah Ar-Rum, thus: ◌َوَهُمُ مِّنُ بَعُدٍ غَلَبِهِمُ سَيَغْلِبُون "and they, after their defeat,
will be victorious." (30:3) The splitting of the moon refers to the miracle
given by Allah to Prophet Muhammad
that is described in Surah
Al-Qamar, thus :ُاقْتَرَبَتِ السَّاعَةُ وَانْشَقَّ الْقَمَر "The Hour (of doom) has drawn near,
and the moon has split asunder (54:1)". The 'seizure', according to this
interpretation, refers to the consequences of the pagan Quraish in the
Battle of Badr. The 'lizam' refers to فَسَوُفَ يَكُونُ لِزَامًا "Now since you belied
(the truth), the punishment will be inseparable from you (25:77)", meaning
the unbelievers' persistent denial of the truth will inevitably cause them
torment.
A careful analysis of the verses embody several prophecies. First, the
appearance of smoke on the sky and enveloping all the people. Second,
that the pagans will not be able to bear the torment, so they will pray to
Allah for its removal promising that they will believe. Third, they will go
back on their words and break their promise. Fourth, Allah - despite their
false promise - will remove the punishment for a short while in order to
establish an argument against them, showing that they will not keep to
their promise. Fourth, He will launch the greatest assault on them again
to take revenge. According to Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas ud's de
interpretation, all the prophecies have been fulfilled. The first four
prophecies were fulfilled during the period when the people of Makkah
suffered a severe drought and famine until this torment was lifted. The
fifth one was fulfilled on the occasion of the battle of Badr. But the
difficulty in this interpretation is that it seems inconceivable that the
دُخَان the sky will come ... " تأتِى السَّمَآءُ express wordings of the Qur'an such as
will envelop people ... (11)" would refer يَغُشَى النَّاسَ (10) a visible smoke ◌ُبِينٍ

752
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 10 - 16
to an imaginary smoke on account of intensity of hunger. The wordings
expressly refer to the distinctive smoke that would be brought forth in the
open and clear sky, enshrouding all the people. But in this interpretation,
there is neither visible smoke in the sky nor is it enveloping the people.
The smoke was as a result of the intensity of their own exhaustion.
Therefore, following the express wordings of the Qur'an, Ibn Kathir
prefers to interpret the expression . Us "visible smoke" as referring to
one of the signs/portents of the Hour. Furthermore, this interpretation is
preferable because this is based on Prophetic ahadith, while the other
interpretation is based merely on a saying of Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn
Mas ud age.
But a strong objection on the interpretation of Ibn Kathir may be
إِنَّا كَاشِفُوا الْعَذَابِ قَلِيلًا إِنَّكُمُ عَائِدُونَ ,raised on the basis of the verse that says
"(Well,) We are going to remove the punishment for a while, (but) you will
certainly go back (to your original position). (44:15)". The problem here is
that on the Day of Judgement no punishment of the unbelievers will be
removed. The assertion that their punishment will be removed for a few
days does not appear to coincide with the interpretation that takes the
'smoke' as a sign of Qiyamah. Responding to this objection, Ibn Kathir
has observed that it could have one of two meanings. For one thing, it
could mean 'If We, in keeping with your request, grant you reprieve from
your torment and send you back to the world, you will revert to your
former state of kufr'. This may be compared to another verse on the same
subject : ◌َوَلَوُ رَحِمُنَاهُمْ وَكَشَفْنَا مَابِهِمْ مِّنْ ضُرِّ لَّلَجُوا فِىُ طُغْيَانِهِمُ يَعُمَهُون "And even if We have
mercy on them and remove whatever distress they have, they would still
persist obstinately in their rebellion, wandering blindly (23:75)". Similarly,
another verse ◌ُوَلَوُ رُدُّوا لَعَادُوا لِمَا نُهُوُا عَنْه " ... And if they were sent back, they
would again go for what they were forbidden from ... ". (6:28)
The other meaning of ◌ِكاشِفُوا الْعَذَاب "We are going to remove the
punishment" could be that all the causes of punishment have been
completed and the punishment is imminent, but it is postponed for a few
days, as it was delayed in the case of the people of Yunus Heal The
Qur'an says ◌َكَشَفُنَا عَنْهُمُ الْعَذَاب "Surely We have removed from them their
punishment" whereas the punishment on the people of Yunus el had
not yet arrived - only the signs of punishment were visible when it was

753
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 10 - 16
delayed, but it is described as removal of punishment.
In conclusion, if the prophecy of dukhan ('smoke') be taken as one of
the portents of the Hour, so the phrase kashiful 'adhab (We are going to
remove the punishment - كَاشِفُوا الْعَذَاب) does not create any problem. In
this interpretation, the phrase يَوْمَ نَبُطِشُ الْبَطُشَةَ الْكُبرى "(Then,) the day We will
seize (you) with the greatest seizure ... (44:16)" refers to the seizure of the
Day of Judgement. In Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud's go interpretation
it refers to the seizure of the battle of Badr. This is correct because that
too was a great seizure, but that does not necessarily mean that a greater
seizure will not be made on the Day of Judgement. It is possible that the
Qur'an, through these verses, is warning the unbelievers of an impending
punishment. Whenever a punishment befell the enemies, the noble
Companions took the verses to apply to that particular punishment. This
does not negate its being one of the signs of the Hour. Ruh-ul-Ma'ani
cites Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Masud's narration with reference to
'Allamah Saffarini's book البحور الزاخرة 'al-Buhur-uz-Zakhirah', thus:
هما دخانان مضى واحد والّذى بقى يملأ مابين السّماء والارض ولا يصيب
المؤمن الا بالزكمة واما الكافر فيشق مسامعه فيبعث الله تعالى عند ذلك الرّيح
الجنوب من اليمن فتقبض روح كل مؤمن ويبقى شرار النّاس. (روح)
"Two clouds of 'dukhan or smoke' will be produced at two different
times: One, in fact, has already occurred on the occasion of the famine of
Makkah and the other is still going to be produced. The second smoke will
fill the atmosphere between the heaven and the earth. A believer will feel
it like having a cold but it will tear through all the pores of an unbeliever.
At that time Allah will send southerly wind from Yemen which will take
away the soul of every believer; and there shall remain only the
unbelievers, the worst of people." (Ruh-ul-Maani)
The author of Ruh-ul-Ma'ani, in terms of his preferred interpretation,
has expressed his suspicion on the authenticity of this narration.
However, if the narration can be confirmed, then there will remain no
conflict between the Tafsir of Ibn Mas'ud 4% and the express wordings of
the Qur'an and the Prophetic ahadith . Allah, the Pure and Exalted,
knows best!

754
Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 17 - 33
Verses 17 - 33
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا قَبْلَهُمُ قَوْمَ فِرُعَوْنَ وَجَآءَهُمْ رَسُوُلٌ كَرِيمٌ ﴿١٧﴾ أَنْ أَدُوُآ
إِلَىَّ عِبَادَ اللهُِ إِنِّى لَكُمُ رَسُوْلٌ آمِينٌ ﴿١٨﴾ وَأَنُ لََّتَعْلُوا عَلَى اللّهُِ
إِنّى أَتِيْكُمُ بِسُلْظنٍ مُّبِيْنٍ ﴿١٩﴾ وَإِنِّى عُذْتُ بِرَبِّىُ وَرَبِّكُمْ أَنْ
تَرُجُمُوُنِ ﴿٢﴾ وَإِنْ لَّمُ تُؤْمِنُوا لِىُ فَاعْتَزِلُونِ ﴿٢١﴾ فَدَعَا رَبَّةٍ أَنَّ
هُلَاءٍ قَوْمٌ مُّجْرِمُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾ فَأَسُرِ بِعِبَادِىُ لَيْلًا إِنَّكُمُ مُتَبَعُونَ ﴿٢﴾
وَاتْرُكِ الْبَحُرَ رَهُوًّا ﴿ إِنَّهُمُ جُنُدٌ مُّغْرَقُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾ كُمْ تَرَكُوا مِنْ جَنْتٍ
وَّعُيُونٍ ﴿٢٥﴾ وَزُرُوُعِ وَمَقَامٍ كَرِيُمِ ﴿٢﴾ وَنَعْمَةٍ كَانُوْا فِيُهَا فِكِهِيْنَ
٢٧﴾ كَذْلِكَ تَ وَأَوْرَثْتُهَا قَوْمًا آخَرِيْنَ ﴿٢٨﴾ فَمَا بَكَتُ عَلَيْهِمُ
لا
السَّمَاءُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنْظَرِيْنَ ﴿٤﴾ وَلَقَدْ نَجَّيْنَا بَنِىِّ
إِسْرَآءِيْلَ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ الْمُهِيْنِ ﴿٢﴾ مِنْ فِرْعَوُنَ ﴿ إِنَّهَ كَانَ عَالِيًّا مِّنَ
الْمُسُرِفِيْنَ ﴿٣١﴾ وَلَقَدِ اخْتَرْنُهُمُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ عَلَى الْعَلَمِيْنَ ﴿٣٢)
وَأَتَّيْنُهُمُ مِّنَ الْأيْتِ مَافِيْهِ بَلَوْا مُّبِيْنٌ ﴿٣٣﴾
And We did test the people of Fir'aun prior to them, and
a noble messenger came to them [17] saying, " Deliver to
me the slaves of Allah. I am an honest messenger to
you." [18] and saying, " Do not be haughty against Allah.
I bring to you a clear proof. [19] And I have sought
refuge with my Lord and your Lord, lest you stone me
to death. [20] And if you do not believe in me, then keep
away from me." [21] Then he prayed to his Lord saying, "
These are a guilty people." [22] (So, Allah answered his
prayer saying,) " Now, take away my slaves at night.
You will certainly be chased. [23] And leave the sea in
the state of stillness; they are an army that is sure to
be drowned." [24] How many gardens and fountains have
they left behind_ [25]_and how many fields and noble
sites, [26] and how many a luxury they used to rejoice
in! [27] This is how it happened. And We made other
people inherit all this. [28] So, neither the sky and earth
wept over them, nor were they given a respite. [29] And

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Surah Ad-Dukhan : 44 : 17 - 33
We delivered the children of Isra'il from the humiliating
punishment, [30] from Fir'aun. Indeed, he was haughty,
one of the transgressors. [31] And We chose them, with
knowledge,1 above all the worlds. [32] And We gave them
the clear signs in which there was a manifest blessing.
[33]
Commentary
And I have sought refuge with my Lord and" وَإِنّىُ عُذُتُ بِرَبِىُ وَرَبِّكُمْ أَنْ تَرُجُمُوْنِ
your Lord, lest you stone me to death. (44:20)" The word rajm means 'to
stone to death'. Another meaning of the word is 'to revile or to make a
verbal assault or to heap up insults'. Both senses are possible here, but it
seems more likely that the word is used here in the sense of stoning to
death, because Fir'aun's people must have been threatening Prophet
Musa S&k with death.
And leave the sea in the state of stillness; (44:24)" The" وَاتُرُكِ الْبَحُرَ رَهُوًا
word rahwan means 'to be still/calm/motionless'. When Prophet Musa
and his companions crossed the sea, Musa > naturally desired for the
sea to go back to its original state. So he wanted to strike it with his staff
so that it would form a barrier between them and Fir'aun to prevent him
from reaching them. But Allah commanded him to leave it as it was, quiet
and divided, and gave him the glad tidings that they were a host to be
drowned, and he should not fear either being overtaken by Fir'aun or
drowning in the sea. When Fir'aun, with his host, will reach the middle of
the dry path, Allah will cause the water to flow and they will drown. (Ibn
Kathir).
And We made other people inherit all this." (44:28) In ... " وَأَوْرَتُّنْهَا قَوْمًا آخَرِيْنَ
Surah Shu'ara', it is explicitly stated that 'other people' refers to the
Children of Israel. It is objected that there is no historical evidence to
show that the Children of Israel ever settled again in Egypt. This
objection has been rebutted in Surah Shu'ara'.
Weeping of the Sky and the Earth
So, neither the sky and earth wept over" فَمَا بَكْتُ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّمَاءُ وَالْأَرْضُ
them ... (44:29)". This means they did not perform any righteous deeds on
(1) It means that the preference given to them was based on the divine
knowledge that they deserved it, because they were the only people at that time
who believed in the Oneness of Allah and had submitted themselves to His
commands.