النص المفهرس

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Sūrah Aljathiyah : 45 : 27 - 37
adversities, they are in fact directing their reproach to Allah. The
Messenger of Allah said: "Do not revile time because time actually is
Allah." The ignorant who claim that a particular work was done by time is
actually the work of Divine power - time is nothing. It does not necessarily
follow from this proposition that ad-dahr is one of the names of Allah.
Here Allah is referred to as ad-dahr metaphorically or figuratively.
Verses 27 - 37
وَلِلّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمْوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ، وَيَوْمَ تَقُوُمُ السَّاعَةُ يَوْمَئِذٍ يَّخْسَرُ
الْمُبْطِلُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾ وَتَرَى كُلَّ أُمَّةٍ جَائِيَةً تَكُلُّ أُمَّةٍ تُدُعِىّ إِلَى كِتْبِهَاء
اَلْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنْتُمْ تَعُمَلُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾ هَذَا كِتْبُنَا يَنْطِقُ عَلَيْكُمُ
بِالْحَقِّ ء إِنَّا كُنَّا نَسْتَنُسِخُ مَا كُنْتُمُ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٢٩﴾ فَمَّا الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا
وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِخْتِ فَيُدْخِلُهُمُ رَبُّهُمُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِ ذلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ
الْمُبِيْنُ ﴿٣٠﴾ وَ آَمَّا الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْ ن ◌َفَلَمْ تَكُنُ ايِتِىُ تُعُلِى عَلَيْكُمُ
فَاسْتَكْبَرْتُمُ وَكُنْتُمُ قَوْمًا مُّجُرِمِيْنَ ﴿٣١﴾ وَإِذَا قِيْلَ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللهِ حَقٌّ
وَّالسَّاعَةُ لَا رَيْبَ فِيُهَا قُلْتُمُ مَّانَدْرِىُ مَا السَّاعَةُ " إِنْ نَظُنُّ إِلَّا ظَنَّا وَّمَا
نَحْنُ بِمُسْتَيْقِنِينَ ﴿٣٢﴾ وَبَدَا لَهُمُ سَيّاتُ مَا عَمِلُوا وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ
مَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ ﴿٣٣﴾ وَقِيْلَ الْيَوْمَ نَنُسْكُمْ كَمَا نَسِيْتُمْ لِقَآءَ
يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا وَمَأْوِبِكُمُ النَّارُ وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّنْ نُصِرِيْنَ ﴿٣٤﴾ ذلِكُمْ
بِنَّكُمُ اَتَّخَذُتُمُ انْتِ اللّهِ هُزُوًا وَّغَرَّتُكُمُ الْحَيْوةُ الدُّنْيَاءَ فَالْيَوْمَ
لَايُخْرَجُوْنَ مِنْهَا وَلَاهُمُ يُسْتَعْتَبُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾ فَلِلْهِ الْحَمْدُ رَبِّ
السَّمُوْتِ وَرَبِّ الْأَرْضِ رَبِّ الْغَلَمِيْنَ ﴿٣٦﴾ وَلَهُ الْكِبْرِيَاءُ فِى
السَّمْوَتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيُمُ ﴿٣٧﴾
And to Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and
the earth. And the day the Hour will take place, the
adherents of falsehood shall lose. [27] And you will see

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Surah Aljathiyah : 45 : 27 - 37
every community kneeling down. Every community will
be called to its Book (of record). Today you will be
recompensed for what you used to do. [28] This is Our
book that speaks against you with truth. We used to get
recorded all that you used to do. [29] Then, as for those
who believed and did righteous deeds, their Lord will
admit them to His mercy. That is indeed the
achievement, visible to all. [30] And as to those who
disbelieved, (it will be said to them,) " Had My verses
not been recited to you? But you showed arrogance, and
you were a guilty people. [31] And when it was said to
you that Allah's promise is true and there is no doubt
in the (arrival of the) Hour, you used to say, We do not
know what the Hour is. We do not think (about it) but
as an assumption, and we are not sure." [32] And
revealed to them will be the evils of what they did, and
encircled they will be by what they used to ridicule. [33]
And it will be said, "Today We will forget you like you
forgot facing this your day, and your abode is the Fire,
and for you there are no helpers at all. [34] That is
because you took Allah's verses as a laughing stock, and
the worldly life deceived you." So today they will
neither be brought out of it, nor will they be asked to
repent. [35] So, to Allah belongs all praise, who is the
Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the
worlds. [36] And to Him belongs majesty in the heavens
and the earth. And He is the Mighty, the Wise. [37]
Commentary
... And you will see every community kneeling down") وَتَرَى كُلَّ أُمَّةٍ جَائِيَةً
45:28"). The word jathiyah is derived from _ juthuww. It means 'to sit
with knees upon the ground'. Sayyidna Sufyan dee says that the word
means 'to sit in such a way that only the knees and the toes of the feet
rest on the ground'. The latter type of sitting will be on account of awe,
horror and fear. The words, al js "every community" means that horrors
of Resurrection will be felt by all on the plain - believers, non-believers,
and righteous and unrighteous, all of them. There are other verses and
traditions that exclude the Prophets and the righteous from experiencing
the horrors of the Plains of Resurrection. The present verse is not in
conflict with them. It is possible that the Prophets and the righteous will
experience the horrors of the Plains of Resurrection for a short period of
time - the period of time will be so short as if it never existed. It is also
possible that the word kull is not used in the sense of "every" but in the

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Surah Aljathiyah : 45 : 27 - 37
sense of 'most' - as is used occasionally. From this point of view, the
phrase would mean not all the people on the Plain of Resurrection but
'most people' will experience horror, thus the prophets and the righteous
are excluded. Some of the scholars take the position that the word
jathiyah means 'to sit like the sitting posture in salah'. If this be taken for
granted, the difficulty automatically disappears because such a sitting is
not out of fear or horror. It is out of respect and honour.
Every community will be called to its book (of ... " كُلّ أُمَّةٍ تُدُعىّ إِلَى كِتْبِهَا
record) ... 45:28". The word kitab, according to most commentators, refers to
'book of record' which the angels have been writing in the world. The
record-books will be thrown on the Plains of Resurrection and each one
will receive his respective record-book and it will be said to him: sy
Read your book. This day you yourself are" كَفى بنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيْبًا
enough to take your own account. (17:14)" The phrase 'Calling towards the
record-books' purports to say that they will have to render an account of
their deeds before Allah in the next life.
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Aljathiyah
Ends here

785
Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 1 - 6
Surah Al-Aqaf
The Sand-dunes
Surah Al-Aķkaf is Makki. It has 35 Verses and 4 Sections
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 6
لحم ﴿٢﴾ تَنْزِيْلُ الْكِتْبِ مِنَ اللهِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيْمِ ﴿٢﴾ مَاخَلَقْنَا
السَّمُوْتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَآ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَاَجَلٍ مُّسَمَّىءُ وَالَّذِيْنَ
كَفَرُوْا عَمَّ أُنْذِرُوْا مُعْرِضُونَ ﴿٣﴾ قُلْ آَرَيْتُمُ مَّاتَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُوْنٍ
اللهِ أَرُوُنِىُ مَاذَا خَلَقُوا مِنَ الْأَرْضِ أَمْ لَهُمُ شِرْكٌ فِى السَّمْوَتِ ء
إِيْتُوُنِىُ بِكِتْبٍ مِّنْ قَبْلِ هَذَا أَوْ أَثْرَةٍ مِّنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ كُنْتُمُ صدِقِينَ ﴿٤﴾
وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ يَّدْعُوْا مِنْ دُوْنِ اللهِ مَنْ لََّ يَسْتَجِيُبُ لَهٌ إِلَى يَوْمِ
الْقِيْمَةِ وَهُمُ عَنْ دُعَائِهِمْ غُفِلُونَ ﴿٥﴾ وَإِذَا حُشِرَ النَّاسُ كَانُوا لَهُمُ
أَعْدَاءً وَ كَانُوا بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ كُفِرِيْنَ ﴿٦﴾
Ha Mim. [1] This is the revelation of the book from
Allah, the Mighty, the Wise. [2] We did not create the
heavens and the earth but with true purpose and for a
specified term. And those who disbelieve are averse to
what they are warned of. [3] Say, "Tell me about those
whom you invoke instead of Allah, (and) show me what
they have created of the earth; Or have they a share in
(the creation of) the heavens? Bring to me a book

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Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 1 - 6
(revealed) before this one, or a trace of knowledge, if
you are truthful. [4] And who is more astray than him
who invokes, instead of Allah, such a one as will not
respond to him until the Day of Judgement; and they
are totally unaware of their prayers, [5] and when
people will be assembled (on the Day of Judgment),
they will be enemies to them, and will refuse even their
having worshipped them. [6]
Commentary
Say, "Tell me about those whom you invoke) قُلْ آَرَءَ يْتُمُ مَّا تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ
instead of Allah, ... 46:4) In these verses, the claim of the polytheists about
the existence of some other gods has been refuted by demanding a proof
to substantiate this claim, because no claim can be accepted, neither
rationally nor according to the religious principles, unless it is proved by
concrete evidences to support it. Then dealing with all possible types of
arguments, it has been proved that they do not have any evidence or
proof in their favor, and that their insisting on such a baseless claim is
nothing but deviation from the truth. The arguments have been classified
by these verses in three types. One is a rational argument. Verse 4
أَرُوُنِى مَاذَا خَلَقُوا مِنَ ,negates any argument of this type in their favor by saying
Show me what they have created of the earth; Or" الْأَرْضِ اَمُ لَهُمُ شِرْكٌ فِى السَّمُوْتِ
have they a share in (the creation of) the heavens?" (46:4)
The second type of argument is that which refers to and relies on the
statement of an authority. It is obvious that, in any matter concerning
Allah, no one can be an authority except Allah Himself, and His
statements can be proved either by the divine books, like Torah, Injil or
Qur'an, or by the sayings of the prophets sent by Him. Negation of the
first type of authority in their case is established by saying,
ws J'. "Bring to me a book (revealed) before this one, (46:4)" meaning that
if you have any proof of this type, then bring the book revealed before the
Qur'an which allows idol-worship. And the second type of argument (that
may be based on the saying of a prophet) has been negated by saying, 31
le He "or a trace of knowledge," (46:4) meaning thereby that if you
cannot bring any revealed book to prove the validity of idol-worship, then
at least put forward any authentic saying of any prophet which proves
your contention. And if you can do neither, then your words and deeds
are totally misguided.

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Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 7 - 10
The original word used in the text is ef'atharah' which is an infinitive
in the sense of 'reporting' and has been explained by 'Ikrimah and
Mugatil to mean a dictum of a prophet.
The explanation given above is taken from the Tafsir of Qurtubi, and
this is the explanation accepted by most exegetes. There are some other
views in the interpretation of this verse, but they are neither
well-established, nor in full harmony with the textual structure.
Therefore, they are not adopted by the majority of the exegetes. (Allah
knows best)
Verses 7 - 10
وَإِذَا تُقُلِى عَلَيْهِمُ ايتُنَا بَيّنْتٍ قَالَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا لِلْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ
هذَا سِحُرٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿ٌ﴾ آَمْ يَقُوْلُوْنَ اقْتَزْنُهُ ﴿ قُلْ إِنِ اقْتَرَيْتُ فَلَا تَمُلِكُوْنَ
لِىُ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًاءُ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تُفِيُضُوْنَ فِيْهِ كَفَى بِهِ شَهِيدًا بَيْنِىُ
وَبَيْنَكُمُ - وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴿٤﴾ قُلُ مَا كُنْتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ
وَمَآ أَدْرِىُ مَا يُفْعَلُ بِى وَلَابِكُمْ ◌ُ إِنْ اتَّبِعُ إِلَّ مَا يُؤْخِى إِلَّ وَمَآ أَنَا إِلَّا
نَذِيُرٌ مُّبِيْنٌ ﴿٩﴾ قُلْ آَرَءَيْتُمُ إِنْ كَانَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ وَكَفَرْتُمْ بِهِ وَشَهِدَ
شَاهِدٌ مِّنُ بَنِىُ اِسْرَآءِيُلَ عَلَى مِثْلِهٍ فَامَنَ وَاسْتَكْبَرْتُمُ ﴿ إِنَّ اللّهَ لَا
يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الظُّلِمِيْنَ ﴿٢﴾
And when Our verses are recited to them in all their
clarity, the disbelievers say about the truth when it
comes to them, "This is an open magic." [7] Is it that
they, rather, say, "He has forged it (the Qur'an)"? Say, "If
I have forged it, then you do not have any power to help
me against Allah. He is well aware of that in which you
indulge. He is enough as a witness between me and you,
and He is the Most-Forgiving, the Very-Merciful." [8] Say,
"I am not something unprecedented among the
messengers, and I do not know what will be done to me
or to you. I do not follow anything but what is revealed
to me, and I am only a clear warner. [9] Say, "Tell me, If
it (the Qur'an) is from Allah and you reject it, and a

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Sūrah Al-Akaf : 46 : 7 - 10
witness from the children of Isra'il testifies about
something similar to it and comes to believe (in it),
while you persist in your arrogance, (then, how unjust
you are!) Surely, Allah does not give guidance to the
unjust people. [10]
Commentary
and I do not know what will be) وَمَآ أَدْرِىُ مَايُفْعَلُ بِىُ وَلَا بِكُمُ ﴿ إِنُ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّ مَا يُؤُلحَى إِلَىَّ
done to me or to you. I do not follow anything but what is revealed to me -
46:9) The sentence, "I do not follow anything but what is revealed to me,"
has been used here as an 'exception' to the previous sentence, meaning
thereby that I do not know anything except what is revealed to me
through wahy. The gist of the explanation given to this verse by Imam
Dabhak رحمه الله تعالى, is that the knowledge of some unseen things can be
obtained by the Holy Prophet only through wany, and he does not
have any knowledge about those unseen things which were not revealed
to him through wahy, be they about his own self, about the believers and
disbelievers among his people, or about matters pertaining to this world or
to the Hereafter. Whatever the Holy Prophet g has said about the
unseen things is obtained through wahy. The noble Qur'an has declared
that the Holy Prophet was blessed by the knowledge of innumerable
things from the Unseen (ghaib), but all this knowledge was given to him
by the divine revelation. This is exactly what the Holy Qur'an means by
saying,
تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَآءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيُهَا إِلَيْكَ
"These are some reports from the unseen (events) which We
reveal to you." (11: 49)
Details of matters relating to the Hereafter, Hell, Paradise,
accountability, reward and punishment are given in the Holy Qur'an
itself, and many details of certain future events that had to take place in
this world are given in authentic ahadith reported from the Holy Prophet
3. Thus the substance of the present verse is simply that the knowledge
of the Holy Prophet about the Unseen is not all-encompassing as is that of
Allah Almighty, nor is it independently obtained; he simply reproduces
whatever Allah Almighty tells him through wahy.
After having reproduced this explanation, the author of
Rūņ-ul-Ma'āni sayș,

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Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 7 - 10
"It is my belief that the Holy Prophet # did not leave this world
until he was blessed by wahy with such a knowledge about
Allah Ta'ala, His attributes and about all those things the
knowledge of which could be meritorious that no other in the
whole universe has ever been blessed with. But I do not believe
that unawareness about trivial worldly affairs like the acts of
some particular individuals and what they do at their homes
and what happens to them one day or the other can in any way
reduce his excellence."
Dictate of etiquette regarding the knowledge of the Holy Prophet
about unseen matters
Respect for the Holy Prophet
demands that one should not say that
he did not know the Unseen; rather one should say that Allah Ta'ala had
given such vast knowledge of unseen matters to him as was not given to
any other prophet.
The explanation given by some exegetes that the negation in this
verse is only about the unseen affairs pertaining to this world, and not
about the Hereafter (as stated by Qurtubi) is probably because they have
not taken the words, "I do not follow anything but what is revealed to
me," in the sense of an exception to the previous sentence; hence the
negation of the knowledge of unseen things has been made specific to the
affairs of this world, because the Holy Prophet @ has told very clearly
about the Hereafter that the Mu'min would go to Paradise, and the 'kafir'
would go to Hell.
and a witness from the) وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنُُ بَنِىُ اِسُرَآءِيُلَ عَلَى مِثْلِهِ فَامَنَ وَاسْتَكْبَرْتُمُ
children of Isra'il testifies about something similar to it and comes to
believe in it while you persist in your arrogance, [then, how unjust you
are!] ....- 46:10) The subject of this verse is almost the same as of the verse
of the last chapter of Surah As-Shu'ara'
أَوَلَمْ يَكُنُ لَّهُمْ آيَةً أَنْ يَّعْلَمَهُ، عُلَمَاؤُ بَنِى إِسْرَآءِ يْلَ
Is it not a proof for them that the knowledgeable of the children
of Isra'il recognize him (the Prophet)? (26: 197)
The gist is that these ignorant Jews and Christians who deny the
messengership of the Holy Prophet
and disbelieve the Qur'an are
ignorant of their own books, because many scholars of Bani Isra'il having
found the prophethood of the Holy Prophet % and its signs mentioned in

790
Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 11 - 12
their books and having witnessed those signs, have come to believe in
him. Even the testimony of their own scholars is not enough for these
ignorant people.
Verse 10 of this Surah states that their falsification of the Holy
Prophet g and their claim about the Qur'an that it is a forgery, is
baseless firstly because, as mentioned in verse 8, if anyone lays a false
claim to prophethood, he has to be eliminated by the divine punishment
right in this world, so that the common people may be saved from his
fraudulent claims, Secondly, if they do not accept this argument, they
should, at least, not overlook the possibility that if his claim is correct, and
this book is actually from Allah Ta'ala, and they continue to persist in
their arrogance, denial and disbelief, specially when one of their own
learned scholar from Bani Isra'il testifies the Book to be from Allah, and
comes to believe in it, then what will be their end and how severe a
punishment will they deserve?
This verse does not name any particular scholar of Bani Isra'fil, nor
does it specify whether the testimony had already been given before this
verse was revealed, or it would come afterwards. It, in effect, sounds a
warning that should such a situation have already arisen or if it should
arise in future, one should worry about saving one's skin. Therefore,
understanding this verse is not dependent upon the determination of a
particular testifier; rather all the Jews and Christians who embraced
Islam, of which Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Salam is more prominent, are
included herein, although he embraced Islam in Madinah, while this
verse was revealed in Makkah. (Ibn Kathir)
The statement by Sayyidna Sa'd 4se reported in some narrations of
Bukhari, Muslim and Nasa'i, that this verse was revealed about Sayyidna
'Abdullah Ibn Salam 4ge and the same statement from Ibn 'Abbas dee,
Mujahid , Dahhak, Qatadah , etc. is not against this verse being
Makki, as in this case, it will be a prophecy for the future. (Ibn Kathir)
Verses 11 - 12
وَقَالَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا لِلَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا لَوْكَانَ خَيْرًا مَّا سَبَقُوْنَا إِلَيْهِ * وَإِذْلَمُ
يَهْتَدُوا بِهِ فَسَيَقُوْلُوُنَ هَذَا اِفْكٌ قَدِيُمٌ ﴿١١﴾ وَمِنْ قَبْلِهِ كِتْبُ مُوُسّى

791
Surah Al-Akaf : 46 : 11 - 12
إِمَامًا وَّرَحْمَةً وَهَذَا كِتْبٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّسَانًا عَرَبِيًّا لِيُنْذِرَ الَّذِيْنَ ظَلَمُوْا
◌ٍ وَبُشُرَى لِلْمُحْسِنِيْنَ ﴿١٢﴾
And the disbelievers say about the believers, "Had it
(Islamic faith) been a good thing, these (weak and poor)
people would not have preceded us (in proceeding)
towards it." And since they did not accept guidance
through it (the Qur'an), they will say, "This is a
classical lie." [11] And before this there was the Book of
Musa, a guide and a mercy. And this is a Book
confirming (it) in Arabic tongue, that it may warn the
wrongdoers and give good news to those who are good
in deeds. [12]
Commentary
Had it [Islamic faith] been a good thing, these) لَوْكَانَ خَيْرًا مَّاسَبَقُوْنَا إِلَيْهِ
[weak and poor] people would not have preceded us [in proceeding]
towards it ._ 46:11) Arrogance and pride pervert the human intellect also.
An arrogant person considers his own opinions and deeds to be the
criteria for determining right and wrong, good and bad. If he does not like
anything, no matter how well it is believed to be by others, he considers
all those people to be stupid, while he himself is stupid. The arrogance
and pride of the infidels was of this very kind, and since they did not like
Islamic faith, they used to say about it's lovers that had it been a good
thing, they themselves would have been the first to adopt it, and that one
should not trust the choice of these poor people.
Ibn Mundhir رحمه الله تعالى etc., have reproduced a narration according
to which this verse was revealed about a slave-girl of Sayyidna 'Umar Ibn
Khattab 4% named Zunairah who had embraced Islam when he was still
a disbeliever. She used to be beaten up and threatened by him, so that
she might give up Islam somehow or the other, and the kuffar of Quraish
used to say that had Islamic faith been a good thing, such a worthless
woman as Zunairah would not have preceded us in embracing it.
(Mazharī)
,And before this, there was the Book of Musa) وَمِنُ قَبْلِهِ كِتْبُ مُوسَى إِمَامًا وَّرَحْمَةً
a guide and a mercy. - 46:12) This verse, for one thing, gives proof of the
statement mentioned in verse 9 that the Holy Prophet
is not an
unprecedented messenger and Qur'an is not a singular divine Book which

792
Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 13 - 20
may create doubts in the minds. Sayyidna Musa el came before him
as a messenger, and Torah was revealed to him which is accepted by all
these Jews and Christians. Secondly, it supports the verse 10 above,
because Sayyidna Musa & and Torah themselves are witnesses to the
Holy Prophet & being the messenger of Allah and the Qur'an being
Allah's Book.
Verses 13 - 20
إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ قَالُوا رَبَّا اللّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمُ وَلَاهُمُ
يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿١٣﴾ أُولَئِكَ أَصُحِبُ الْجَنَّةِ حُلِدِينَ فِيْهَا جَزَآءًا بِمَا
كَانُوا يَعُمَلُونَ ﴿١٤﴾ وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ إِحْسَنًا حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّةً
كُرْهًا وَّ وَضَعَتُهُ كُرُهَاءُ وَحَمْلُهُ وَفِضِلُهُ ثَلْتُوُنَ شَهْرًا حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ
اَشُدَّهُ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِيْنَ سَنَةً " قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعُنِىٌّ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعُمَتَكَ الَّبِىّ
أَنْعَمُتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضُهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِىُ
فِىُ ذُرِّيَّتِىُ جُ إِنّى تُبُتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِّىُ مِنَ الْمُسُلِمِيْنَ ﴿١٥) أُولَئِكَ
الَّذِيْنَ نَتَقَبَّلُ عَنْهُمْ أَحْسَنَ مَاعَمِلُوا وَنَتَجَاوَزُ عَنُ سَيِّتِهِمْ فِىّ
أَصُحِبِ الْجَنَّةِ ، وَعُدَ الصِّدُقِ الَّذِىُ كَانُوا يُؤْعَدُونَ ﴿١٦﴾ وَالَّذِىُ
قَالَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ أُفٍ لَّكُمَآ أَتَعِدِنِىِّ أَنْ أُخْرَجَ وَقَدُ خَلَتِ الْقُرُوْنُ مِنْ
قَبْلِىُ ، وَهُمَا يَسْتَغِيُثْنِ اللّهَ وَيْلَكَ امِنُ دُّ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللّهِ حَقٌّ مَّ
فَيَقُوُلُ مَاهَذًا إِلَّا أَسَاطِيْرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿١٧) أُولَئِكَ الَّذِيْنَ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ
الْقَوْلُ فِىٌّ أُمَمٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ ءَ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوْا
لحُسِرِيْنَ ﴿١٨﴾ وَلِكُلِّ دَرَجِتٌ مِّمَّا عَمِلُوا وَلِيُوَفِيَهُمْ أَعْمَالَهُمُ وَهُمُ
لَا يُظْلَّمُوْنَ ﴿١٩) وَيَوْمَ يُعْرَضُ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا عَلَى النَّارِ ، اَذْهَبْتُمْ
طَيِّئِكُمُ فِىُ حَيَاتِكُمُ الدُّنْيَا وَاسْتَمْتَعْتُمُ بِهَا فَالْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوُنَ عَذَابَ

793
Surah Al-Aķkaf : 46 : 13 - 20
الْهُوُنِ بِمَا كُنْتُمُ تَسُتَكُبِرُوْنَ فِى الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَبِمَا كُنْتُمُ
تَفْسُقُونَ ﴿.﴾﴾
Surely, those who said, "Our Lord is Allah" then stayed
firm, for them, there is no fear, nor shall they grieve.
[13] Those are the people of Paradise, living there
forever, as a reward for what they used to do. [14] And
We have enjoined upon man to do good to his parents.
His mother carried him with toil and delivered him
with toil. And his carrying and his weaning is (in)
thirty months, until when he attains his maturity, and
reaches forty years, he says, "My Lord, grant me that I
offer gratitude for the favor You have bestowed upon
me and upon my parents, and that I do righteous deeds
that You like. And grant for my benefit goodness in my
progeny. Of course, I repent to you, and truly I am one
of those who submit to You." [15] Such are the people
from whom We accept the best of what they did, and
overlook their evils, (so as they will be) among the
people of the Paradise according to the true promise
that was made to them. [16] And (Contrary to this is the
case of) the one who said to his parents, "Fie upon you
both! Do you promise to me that I shall be brought out
(from the grave), while generations have passed before
me?" And they (the parents) were crying for Allah's
help, (and saying to their son,) "Woe to you. Believe.
Allah's promise is certainly true." Then he says, "This is
nothing but the tales of the ancients." [17] Such are the
people on whom the word (of punishment) has come
true along with the communities of the Jinn and the
humans that have passed before them. Surely they were
losers. [18] And for each (of these two groups) there are
(different) ranks, because of what they did, and so that
He may repay them in full for their deeds, and they will
not be wronged. [19] And the day the disbelievers will be
presented before the Fire, (it will be said to them,) " You
have consumed your good things in your worldly life,
and have enjoyed them. So, today you will be punished
with the torment of humiliation for the arrogance you
used to show on earth having no right (to do so), and for
the sins you used to commit. [20]
Commentary
The first two of the above verses are a complement to the previous

794
Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 13 - 20
verses which announce punishment for the unjust, and glad tidings of
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا success and reward for the virtuous Muslims. In the first verse
Surely, those who said, 'Our Lord is Allah' then stayed" رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا
firm, (46:13)" all the basic faith and virtuous deeds required by Islam have
been comprehensively referred to with great eloquence. The admission
that & u; "Our Lord is Allah." is the whole of faith, and staying firm in it
includes holding on to it till death, as well as carrying out all its
obligations. The meaning and importance of istiqamah ('Staying firm),
have been explained in detail in the commentary of Surah Ha Mim
As-Sajdah (41:30). In this verse here, those who embrace faith and remain
steadfast to it are being promised freedom from anxiety and suffering in
future, and dispelling of their grief and sorrow over past sufferings. The
following verse gives glad tidings of the permanence and continuity of
this matchless comfort. In the four verses which follow, man is being
directed to behave beautifully with his parents, and is being censured for
ill-behaviour towards them; and in this context, the kindness of the
parents to him and the parents' bearing hard labor and toiling for their
children have been mentioned, and then man has been advised to repent
and turn towards Allah Ta'ala when he gets older. The connection
between these verses and the earlier ones, according to Ibn Kathir, is that
the usual style of the Holy Qur'an is to instruct man to behave
beautifully, to serve and to obey his parents along with the call to obey
and worship Allah Almighty. Many verses of the Holy Qur'an in various
Surahs bear witness to this style. Here also, in the same way, mention
has been made of beautiful behaviour for parents alongwith the call to
believe in the Oneness of Allah Ta'ala. And Qurtubi, with reference to
Qushairi has stated the connection to be that there is a kind of solace in it
for the Holy Prophet
that he should continue calling people towards
faith and 'tauhid' (the Oneness of Allah) and should not be disheartened
if some people do not accept his invitation, because men, by nature, are of
diverse characteristics, and some of them do not refrain even from
ill-treatment to their parents. (Allah knows best)
In any case, the real subject of these four verses is to instruct man to
behave beautifully with one's parents, and in that context there are other
instructions also. Although some narrations of hadith indicate that these
verses were revealed about Sayyidna Abu Bakr 400, it is obvious that
even if any verse of the Qur'an is revealed about any particular person or
about any particular incident, the rule laid down thereby remains

795
Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 13 - 20
generally applicable to all. Therefore, even if the verse was revealed
about Sayyidna Abu Bakr 450, its application is general, regardless of
some specifications of age etc. that may appear particular to him.
And We have enjoined upon man to do good to) وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ إِحُسنًا
his parents .- 46:15) The word wasiyyah used in the text means 'emphatic
order' and ihsan means 'doing good' or 'behaving beautifully' which
includes service, obedience, respect and reverence.
His mother carried him with toil and delivered) حَمَّلَتْهُ أُمُّهْ كُرُهًا وَّ وَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا
him with toil .- 46:15) The word o's kurh means the toil that one has to
endure for some reason, while &'s karh means the toil one has to
undertake under compulsion from someone else. This sentence puts
emphasis on the instruction given in the previous sentence for doing good
to the parents, and spells out one of the reasons for it. The verse addresses
everyone and draws his attention to the fact that parents have gone
through hardships and have endured toil for his sake, right from his birth
up to his youth. The toil and labor of the mother, specially, is much more
prominent. That is why only toil of mother has been stated here by
reminding that she carries the baby inside her womb during pregnancy of
nine long months, during which she had to bear all kinds of hardship and
suffering, and then she endures extreme pain during delivery.
Mother has more rights than father
Although the first part of this verse is a command to do good to both
the parents, the second sentence refers only to the hardships suffered by
the mother, because they are unavoidable, and no child can be born
without them. Every mother has to go through the problems of pregnancy
and severe pains of delivery. As against this, it is not necessary for a
father that he suffers any hardship in bringing up and educating the
child, if he can afford to pay somebody else for these services. That is why
the Holy Prophet g has given more rights to the mother than anybody
else. According to a hadith, He has said,
صِلْ أُمَّكَ ثُمَّ أُمَّكَ ثُمَّ أُمِّكَ ثُمَّ ابَاكَ ثُمَّ اَدْنَاكَ فَاَدُنَاكَ
"Do good to and serve your mother, then your mother, then your
mother, then your father, then the near relatives and then
those who come after them." (Mazhari)
And his carrying and his weaning is in thirty) وَحَمُلُهُ وَفِضِلُهْ تَلْثُوُنَ شَهْرًا

796
Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 13 - 20
months - 46:15). This sentence too describes the hardships suffered by
mother for her baby. It points out that even after suffering hardships
during the pregnancy and the severe labor pains, the mother does not get
respite from toils, because the natural food of the infant is in her breasts,
and she has to suckle the infant.
This verse states that the total period of pregnancy and then of
weaning is thirty months, Sayyidna 'All des has deduced from this verse
that the minimum period of pregnancy is six months, because the Holy
Qur'an has determined the maximum weaning period as two complete
years in another verse which says,
وَالْوَالِدَاتُ يُرْضِعُنَ أَوْ لاَدَهُنَّ حَوْلَيْنٍ كَامِلَيْنٍ
And mothers suckle their children for full two years; it is for
one who wants to complete (the period of) suckling. (2: 233)
The total period of pregnancy and suckling has been mentioned in the
verse under discussion (46:15) as thirty months. If the maximum period of
suckling, that is twenty four months according to the verse 2:233 cited
above, is deducted from thirty months, the balance is no more than six
months which has been taken as the minimum period of pregnancy.
It is narrated that during the period of Sayyidna 'Uthman
de, a
woman gave birth to a child in six months, as against the normal period
of nine months, or at least seven months. Sayyidna 'Uthman dee decided
this to be the case of an illegitimate birth and gave orders for punishment.
When Sayyidna 'Ali 4ee came to know the incident, he advised Sayyidna
'Uthman 4ee against the decision, and argued that the minimum period of
pregnancy is six months as deduced from the verses mentioned above.
Sayyidna 'Uthman 4ce accepted his argument and cancelled his order.
(Qurțubī)
That is why all the jurists of the Ummah are unanimous on the point
that the minimum period of pregnancy can be six months, while they
differ about the maximum period of pregnancy, because the Holy Qur'an
has not given any ruling about it.
Conclusion
This verse has defined the minimum period of pregnancy to be six
months; a perfect and sound baby cannot be born in a lesser period; the

797
Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 13 - 20
maximum period has not been defined, as it may vary with individuals.
Similarly, the maximum period for suckling has been defined to be two
years; the minimum period has not been defined, because some women do
not produce any milk at all; some have their milk dried up within few
months, and some babies are not very fond of mother's milk, or it is
harmful for them, and they are fed from other sources.
Different views of Jurists about maximum period of pregnancy
and maximum period of suckling
The great Imam Abu Hanifah holds the maximum period of
pregnancy to be two years. There are different narrations from Imam
Malik about the maximum period of pregnancy to be four, five or seven
years, whereas Imam Shafi'i holds it to be four years, which is also the
view of Imam Ahmad, according to more recognized reports from him.
(Mazharī). The maximum suckling period, which governs the rules of
fosterage, is two years according to the majority of the jurists. Imam
Malik, Shafi'f, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal رحمهم الله تعالى and Abu Yusuf and
Muhammad from the Hanafi school, are all unanimous on it, and this is
also the dictum of Sayyidna 'Umar and Ibn 'Abbas de from the Noble
Companions. (Ad-Darqutani) Sayyidna 'Ali
and Sayyidna 'Abdullah
Ibn Mas'ud Age also have the same standpoint. (Ibn Abi Shaibah). Only
the great Imam Abu Hanifah has been quoted as saying that a baby can
be suckled up to two years and a half. But the correct meaning of this
view according to the majority of the Hanafi school is that if the baby is
weak and does not take any food except mother's milk even after
attaining the age of two years, then it is permissible to suckle him for
another six months, because it is agreed by all that feeding the baby with
mother's milk after the suckling period is unlawful. However, the
prevalent fatwa (religious verdict) of the Hanafi jurists is in accordance
with the majority of Imams holding that if a child is suckled after the
period of two years, it would not result in creating the relationship of
fosterage. Maulana Thanawi y Ul >, has opined in Bayan-ul-Qur'an
that although the fatwa is in accordance with the view of the majority,
yet it is better to be careful in arranging marriage of someone who has
been suckled within six months after two years, which means that
fosterage relationship should be presumed, as a matter of precaution,
even if a child is suckled within six months after reaching the age of two

798
Surah Al-Aḥkaf : 46 : 13 - 20
years.
وَحَمُلُهُ، وَفِضلُه، ثَلُثُوُنَ شَهُرًا Some exegetes have tried to interpret the verse
(And his carrying and his weaning is [in] thirty months - 46:15) in a
manner that it may support the view of Imam Abu Hanifah that the
suckling period is two years and a half. But it is not correct, because, as
stated in Tafsir Mazhari, the noble companions Sayyidna 'Ali dee and
Sayyidna 'Uthman dee have determined the meaning of this verse that
the period of thirty months comprises the minimum period of six months
for pregnancy, and twenty-four months for suckling.
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas dge has said that Qur'an has determined the
combined period for pregnancy and suckling to be thirty months without
defining each period separately, because if a baby is born in the normal
period of nine months, the suckling period of twenty-one months is
adequate, and if the baby is born in seven months, then a suckling period
of twenty-three months is required, and if a baby is born in six months
only, then a suckling period of full two years is required. (Mazhari)
until when he attains his maturity and) حَتّى إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِيْنَ سَنَةً
reaches forty years - 46:15). The lexical meaning of the word dal 'ashudd
(translated above as 'maturity') is 'stregnth'. The same word used in
Surah al-An'am (6:152) has been explained to mean 'the age of puberty'.
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas dee has explained it to mean reaching the age of
eighteen years.
In the present verse too, some exegetes have taken the word all
'ashudd' to mean "the age of puberty", and then they have taken the
following words, ◌ًوَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَة "and reaches forty years" as a separate stage
in one's life, and not an explanation of 'maturity'. This is the view of
Shabi and Ibn Zayd رحمه الله تعالى .But Hasan Basri رحمه الله تعالى has held
both the sentences to have the same meaning and 'reaching the age of
forty years' to be the explanation of 'attaining maturity'. (Qurtubi) Thus
the sequence of the events mentioned in the verse is such that pregnancy
has been mentioned first, then the delivery of the child, followed by the
suckling period. The reference to the maturity after that means that the
child lived, became mature in his physical and mental strength and
reached the age of forty years. It was at that point that he was able to
turn towards his Creator, and began to pray to Him:

799
Surah Al-Aḥkaf : 46 : 13 - 20
رَبِّ أَوْزِغْنِىٌّ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعُمَتَكَ الَّتِىِّ أَنْعَمُتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا
تَرْضُبُهُ وَأَصُلِحُ لِىُ فِىُ ذُرِّيَّتِىُ جُ إِنِّى تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِىُ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ
"My Lord, grant me that I offer gratitude for the favor You have
bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I do righteous
deeds that You like. And grant for my benefit goodness in my
progeny. Of course, I repent to you, and truly I am one of those
who submit to You." (46:15)
All this description is given by the Holy Qur'an in past tenses and in a
style indicating that this description relates to a particular person and a
particular event that had already happened before the verse was
revealed. That is why Tafsir Mazhari has opined that all these
circumstances relate to Sayyidna Abu Bakr e, which have been
mentioned in a general form to induce other Muslims also to act in a
similar manner. This view is supported by the narration of Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas des reproduced by Qurtubi. The gist of this narration is that when
the Holy Prophet
traveled to Syria for trading financed by Sayyidah
Khadijah رضى الله عنها, he was twenty years old. Sayyidna Abu Bakr
was with him, and he was eighteen years old, and had 'reached his
maturity' in the words of the Holy Qur'an. He witnessed such qualities of
the Holy Prophet # in that journey that he became his ardent admirer,
and started accompanying him everywhere even after returning from
that journey. When the Holy Prophet > reached the age of forty years,
and Allah Ta'ala blessed him with prophethood, Sayyidna Abu Bakr age
was thirty-eight years old, and he became the first adult male to embrace
Islam. When he became forty years old, he prayed to Allah as stated in
this verse above; hence the words of the Holy Qur'an: 'and reached forty
years'. Allah Ta'ala accepted his supplication and gave him 'taufiq'
(ability and willingness) to purchase and then set free nine slaves who
had embraced Islam and were being tortured mercilessly by their masters.
Similarly his prayer "Grant for my benefit goodness in my progeny"
was also accepted in that all his children embraced Islam. Of all the noble
companions, only Sayyidna Abu Bakr de has the distinction that he
himself, his parents and his offspring, all embraced Islam and had the
honor of being noble companions of the Holy Prophet .
The question that arises here is that Abu Quhafah 4, the father of
Sayyidna Abu Bakr de, embraced Islam after the conquest of Makkah,

800
Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 13 - 20
while the whole of this Surah is Makki, so how was it appropriate for
Sayyidna Abu Bakr 4de, to mention Allah's blessings upon his parents at
that stage when his father had not embraced Islam? One answer is that
some exegetes have held these verse to be Madani. Given this view, there
is no room for any such question. But if the verse is taken to have been
revealed in Makkah, the inclusion of his parents in this supplication of
Abu Bakr de was by way of praying that they should be blessed by Allah
with Islam. (Ruh-ul-Ma'ani) (1)
Although, according to this explanation, all these descriptions relate to
Sayyidna Abu Bakr ce, yet the instruction is general for all Muslims that
when they reach the age of forty years, their care for the Hereafter
should take precedence over all their activities; one ought to repent afresh
for the past sins, and take all precautions to save oneself from sins in
future, because the experience shows that the ethical manners and habits
that one is accustomed to at the age of forty years become permanent in
his character, and are not easily changed.
It is reported by Sayyidna 'Uthman see that the Holy Prophet @ has
said that when a Mu'min reaches the age of forty years, Allah Ta'ala
becomes lenient in taking account of his deeds; at the age of sixty years
Allah gives him taufiq of inabah (frequently turning) towards Himself; at
the age of seventy years all heavenly beings start loving him; at the age
of eighty years, Allah Ta'ala lets his virtues stand, and sins erased; and at
the age of ninety years, Allah Ta'ala forgives all his sins - past and
future, and authorizes him to plead for the forgiveness of his family
members, and in the heavens it is written alongside his name that he is
detained by Allah on earth. (Ibn Kathir, Musnad of Ahmad, etc.) It is obvious
that all this is about a Mu'min who has lived his life avoiding sins and in
accordance with the injunctions of 'Shari'ah'.
Since Ibn Kathir y wUl >, has adopted the first explanation, that
the verse does not refer to any particular person, like Sayyidna Abu Bakr
[1] In order to understand this, one should recapitulate the words of the prayer
under discussion. These are: "My Lord, grant me that I offer gratitude for the
favor You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents." According to this
explanation, the 'favor bestowed' on the parents of Abu Bakr & would mean
the mundane benefits they were enjoying. Sayyidna Abu Bakr # prayed that
they should be granted taufiq to offer gratitude to Allah on these favors by
embracing Islam. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

801
Surah Al-Ahkaf : 46 : 13 - 20
dese, but it is meant for a common people, the specific words, like 'until
when he reached his maturity and attained the age of forty years" are all
by way of example, wherein the instruction is being imparted that when
one reaches the age of forty years, one should have due care for
correcting himself and his family members, and his endeavor for the
betterment of the Hereafter should take precedence over all his thoughts.
(Allah knows best)
Such are the people from) أُولَئِكَ الَّذِيْنَ نَتَقَبَّلُ عَنُهُمُ اَحْسَنَ مَاعَمِلُوا وَنَتَجَاوَزُ عَنُ سَيّاتِهِمُ
whom we accept the best of what they did and overlook their evils .... -
46:16) This, too, is a general rule, and if the verse was revealed with
reference to Sayyidna Abu Bakr de, then he would be the first to be
included in its generality. A quotation from Sayyidna 'Ali ase which is
given below also indicates that sense of the verse is general. Ibn Kathir
has reported the narration of Muhammad Ibn Hatib ¿le allaw, that once
he was with Sayyidna 'Ali 4% along with some other persons who blamed
Sayyidna 'Uthman 4ee for some wrong-doings. Thereupon Sayyidna 'Ali
đẹp said:
كان عثمان رضى الله عنه من الّذين قال الله تعالى فيهم أُولَئِكَ الَّذِيْنَ نَتَقَبَّلُ عَنْهُمُ
اَحْسَنُ مَاعَمِلُوا وَنَتَجَاوَزُ عَنُ سَيّائِهِمُ فِىُ أَصُخبِ الْجَنَّةِ وَعُدَ الصِّدُقِ الَّذِىُ كَانُوا
يُوعَدُوْنَ، قَال وَاللّه عثمان واصحاب عثمان رضى الله عنهم، قالها ثلاثا. (ابن كثيرٌ)
('Uthman 4% was one of those people about whom Allah Ta'ala
has said: "Such are the people from whom We accept the best of
what they did, and overlook their evils, (so they will be) among
the people of Paradise according to the true promise that was
made to them." (46:16) I swear by Allah that 'Uthman age and
his companions were examples of this verse." Sayyidna 'Ali 4
repeated this three times.
And, [contrary to this is the case of] the one who) وَالَّذِىُ قَالَ لِوَالِدَيْهِ أُفٍ لَّكُمَا
said to his parents, 'Fie upon you both!' - 46:17). The previous verse has
laid down the order to serve and obey the parents; this verse announces
punishment for one who maltreats his parents and is impertinent to them,
specially when they are calling him towards Islam and virtuous deeds,
because rejecting their call is a double sin. Ibn Kathir has said that the
verse is general and applies to anyone who maltreats his parents.
Marwan's saying, in one of his addresses, that this verse holds true for
'Abdur Rahman Ibn Abi Bakr 4ge has been contradicted by Sayyidah