Indexed OCR Text

534
Surah Yunus : 10 : 18 - 20
duct, particularly of my truth and honesty, during these long forty
years of my life among you. You know that I have never lied then. How
and why would I start lying now after all those forty years?' This clear-
ly proves that the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is true and trustworthy.
Whatever there is in the Qur'an is the Word of Allah Ta'ala and has
come from Him.
Important Note
No doubt, this argument of the Qur'an provides a perfect proof of
its veracity as the Word of Allah. But, it has also given us a standing
rule of conduct in matters of common interest where we must be able
to separate the genuine from the counterfeit and the true from the
false. When an office or rank of responsibility has to be given to a per-
son, it becomes necessary to assess the qualification and capability of
the incumbent. To do that, the best rule is to go through the record of
his past life. If the person concerned is found to be true and trustwor-
thy, the same can be expected from him in the future as well. And if,
there is no evidence to prove his honesty and truth in that person's
past life, trusting him for the future just because of what he says or
claims is not a wise thing to do. In our time, finding the right person
for an office of responsibility has become a nightmare. All sorts of er-
rors (of intent, background research and decision making) are being
committed and errors are compounded by widespread disorders (in so-
cial and governmental institutions). The real reason why all this is
happening is the abandonment of this natural principle in favor of
what is customary, formal (or straight dishonest).
The last verse (17) emphasizes the subject conclusively by warning
that attributing any statement to Allah Ta'ala that was not His Word,
or denying what actually was, were crimes deserving severe punish-
ment.
Verses 18 - 20
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللَّهِ مَالَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنْفَعُهُمْ وَ يَقُوُلُونَ
هَؤُلاءِ شُفَعَآؤُنَا عِنْدَاللَّهِ، قُلْ آَتْنَبُِّنَ اللَّهَ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ فِى
السَّمُوْتِ وَلاَ فِى الْأَرْضِ ◌ُّ سُبْحُنَهْ وَتَعْلى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
﴿١٨) وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّ أُمّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُؤْا* وَلَوْ لَا كَلِمَةٌ

535
Surah Yunus : 10 :18 - 20
سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيْمَا فِيْهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿١٩﴾
وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْ لَّا أُنْزِلَ عَلَيْهِ آيَةٌ قِنْ رَبِّهٍ فَقُلُ إِنَّا الْغَيْبُ لِلّهِ
فَانْتَظِرُوا إِنِّيٌ مَعَكُمُ قِنَ الْمُنْتَظِرِينَ ﴿٢﴾
And they worship, besides Allah, what can neither
harm them, nor benefit them, and they say, "These are
our intercessors with Allah." Say, "Are you informing
Allah of what He does not know to exist in the heavens
or on the earth?" Pure is He, and far higher than their
ascribing of partners to Him. [18]
And people were but one community; later, they dif-
fered. But for a word from your Lord that had already
come, there would have come a decision between them
on what they used to differ. [19]
And they say, "Why is it that no sign has been sent
down to him from his Lord?" Say, "The Unseen is only
for Allah. So, wait. I am waiting with you." [20]
Commentary
Disbelievers and Believers are two separate nationalities:
Nationality based on race and country is absurd
The statement : ◌ًكَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَة (And people were but one community)
in verse 19 means that the progeny of Sayyidna Adam ->JI de was es-
sentially a single community of monotheists in the earlier stages of
man's presence in the world. Shirk and Kufr were unknown as such.
Then came up difference in the principle of pure monotheism that di-
vided human beings in different nations and groups of people.
How long this period of a single community of believers last? Origi-
nal sources of Islamic Tradition tell us that this situation prevailed up
to the time of Sayyidna Nuh (Noah). It was during his time that Shirk
and Kufr showed up and he was the one who had to confront it first.
(Tafsir Mazharī)
Then, it is also obvious that there is a long period of time between
Sayyidna Adam and Sayyidna Nuh >Jude, may peace be on them
both. Human race had multiplied and population had spread out in
the world. The presence of differences in color, ethnicity and social life
styles was natural. That people had spread themselves out in different
regions would have certainly generated differences on the basis of

536
Surah Yunus : 10 : 21 - 24
country and homeland. Then, it is also possible that spoken languages
may have become somewhat different. But, the Holy Qur'an did not al-
low these natural genealogical or tribal differences or those of color
and country to become impediments to the grand design of one com-
munity. In fact, it did not declare the progeny of Sayyidna Adam de
>.JI to be different nations and communities because of these differ-
ences. Instead, it gave them the status of one community.
Of course, when Kufr and Shirk spread out and posed a threat to
'Iman or true belief, Kafirs and Mushriks were declared to be a separ-
ate community of people as indicated in: palu (later, they differed).
Another verse of the Holy Qur'an : ◌ٌهُوَ الَّذِيُ خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنْكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِر (It is He
who created you; yet there is among you a disbeliever and there is
among you a believer - At-taghabun, 64:2) makes it more explicit. It tells
that the thing that separates the progeny of Sayyidna Adam >JI
created by Allah into different peoples is the deviation from 'Iman and
Islam. Bonds of lineage or country do not make people separate.
Bracketing human beings into different groups on the basis of lan-
guage, homeland, color or race is ignorance dished out in the garb of
enlightenment. It is new. But everything new is not necessarily true
and wise. In fact, it might as well be the exact opposite of what is wise.
Today, there are many educated people who have also fallen into the
trap of this narrow concept of nationalism based on the factors enu-
merated above. Unfortunately, this approach towards ordering the so-
cial life of human beings is fraught with seeds of countless unseen dis-
asters. May Allah keep Muslims safe from its evil effects.
Verses 21 - 24
وَإِذَا كَذَقْنَا النَّاسَ رَحْمَةً مِنْ بَعْدِ ضَرَّاءَ مَسَّتْهُمْ إِذَا لَهُمْ مَّكُرُ
فِىٌّ انْتِنَاء قُلِ اللَّهُ اَشْرَحُ مَكْرَّاء إِنَّ ◌ُسُلَنَا يَكْتُبُوْنَ مَاتَمْكُرُونَ
﴿٢١﴾ هُوَ الَّذِى يُسَتِكُمْ فِى الْبَرِّوَالْبَحْرِ ، حَتَّى إِذَا كُنتُمْ فِى
الْفُلْكِ وَجَرَيْنَ بِهِمْ بِرِنْجِ طَيِّبَةٍ وَفَرِحُوا بِهَا جَآءَ تُهَارِيٌّ
عَاصِفُ وَ جَآءَ هُمُ الْمُوْجُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَظَتُؤْاَ اَنَّهُمْ أُحِيُّطَ
بِهِمْ دَعَوا اللَّهَ مُخُلِّصِيْنَ لَهُ الدِّيْنَّ لَبِنْ أَنْجَيْتَنَا مِنْ هَذِهٍ

537
Surah Yunus : 10 : 21 - 24
لَنَكُوْنَنَّ مِنَ الشُّكِرِيْنَ ﴿٢٢﴾ فَلَمَّا أَنْجُهُمْ إِذَا هُمْ يَبْغُوْنَ فِى
الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحِّءُ ذَاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّاَ بَغْيُكُمُ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ"
مَّتَاعَ الْخَيْوةِ الدُّنْيَاء ◌ُّ إِلَيْنَا مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَنُنَتِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنُهُمْ
تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾ إِنََّاَ مَثَلُ الْحَبُوةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنْزَلُنْهُ مِنَ
السَّمَآءِ فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الْأَرْضِ مِّ يَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ وَالْآَنْعَامُ
حَثَى إِذَاَ آَخَذَتِ اْأَرْضُ زُخُرُفَهَا وَازَّيَّنَتُ وَظَنَّ اهُلُهَا أَنَّهُمْ
قُدِرُوْنَ عَلَيْهَا" آَتْهَا أَمُْنَا لَيْلاً أَوْنَهَارًا فَجَعَلُنْهَا حَصِيْدًا
كَانُ لَّمْ تَغْنَ بِالْآَمْسِ كَذلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ الْأَيْتِ لِقَوْمٍ
یتفگرُونَ﴿٢٤﴾
He is the One who enables you to travel on land and at
sea, until when you are in the boats and they sail with
those on board under a good wind and they are pleased
with it, there comes upon them a violent wind, and the
wave comes upon them from many sides. And (when)
they think that they are encircled, they pray to Allah,
having faith in Him alone, (and say,) "If You deliver us
from this, we shall be grateful indeed." [22]
But when He delivers them, they at once start rebelling
on the earth wrongfully. O people, your rebellion is, in
fact, against your own selves. (It is nothing but) an
enjoyment of the worldly life. Therefore, to Us you are
to return, then We shall tell you what you have been
doing. [23]
The example of worldly life is just like the water We
sent down from the heavens, then the vegetation of the
earth, eaten by men and cattle, until when the earth
took on its ornament and was fully adorned, and its
people thought that they had control over it, Our
command came to it at night or by day, and We turned
it into a stubble, as if it had not been there a day
earlier. This is how We elaborate the verses for a
people who reflect. [24]

538
Surah Yunus : 10 : 25 - 32
Commentary
The word: مكر (makr) used in verse 21 :قُلِ اللَّهُ أَسْرَحُ مَكْرًا (Say, "Allah is
more swift in making plans") means secret plan or move that could be
good or bad. Wherever this word has become a part of the local lan-
guage, care should be taken that it is not rendered as 'deception'. For
instance, in Urdu, the original language of this Commentary, it means
just this. It is obvious that Allah Ta'ala is free from it.1
The warning given in verse 23:ُإنّا بَغْيُكُمُ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُم (your rebellion is, in
fact, against your own-selves) tells us that the curse of injustice is cer-
tain and, much before matters are settled in the Hereafter, one who is
guilty of doing injustice must suffer from its evil consequences in this
world as well.
The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said: 'Allah Ta'ala hastens to
repay mercy shown to relatives and favor done to people (whereby its
blessings start becoming visible in this world, much before the Here-
after). And He also hastens to repay injustices done and relationships
severed (in that its consequences have to be faced within the life of
this world).' (Reported by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah with a hasan chain of narrators)
In another Hadith narrated by Sayyidah A'ishah رضى الله عنها, the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, 'there are three sins the curse whereof falls
on the sinner himself: Injustice, breach of trust and deception.'
(Reported by Abu ash-Shaykh and Ibn Marduwayh in Tafsir) (See Mazhari)
Verses 25 - 32
وَاللهُ يَدْعُؤْا إِلى دَارِ السَّلِمِ، وَيَهْدِىْ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ
تُسْتَقِيْمٍ ﴿٢٥﴾ لِلَّذِيْنَ احُسَنُوا الْحُسْنِى وَزِيَادَةٌ، وَلاَ يَرْهَقُ
وُجُوْهَهُمْ قَتَرٌ وَلَاِلَّةٌهُ أُولَئِكَ أَصْحِبُ الْجُنَّقِ هُمْ فِيْهَا خُلِدُونَ
﴿٢٦ ﴾ وَالَّذِيْنَ كَسَبُوا السَّاتِ جَزَاءُ سَيِّئَةٍ) بِمِثْلِهَا « وَتَرْهَقُّهُمْ
◌ِلَّةٌ مَالَهُمْ مِنَ اللّهِ مِنْ عَاصٍِ كَتَّاً أُغْرِشِبَتْ وُجُوُهُهُمْ
قِطُعًا قِنَ الَّيْلِ مُظْلِمًاء أُولَئِكَ أَصْحُبُ التَّارِهِ هُمْ فِيْهَا
1. The English language has no such problems as the open sense of makr can be
transmitted through 'plan' or 'move' (Translator)

539
Surah Yunus : 10:25 - 32
خُلِدُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾ وَيَوْمّ نَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيْعًا ثُمَّ تَقُولُ لِلَّذِيْنَ اشْرَكُوْا
مَكَانَكُمْ أَنْتُمُ وَشُرَكَاؤُكُمْ فَزَتَّلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَقَالَ شُرَكَاؤُهُمْ
مَّاكُنْتُمْ إِيَّانَا تَعْبُدُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾ فَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ شَهِيْدًا بَيْنَنَا
وَبَيْنَكُمْ إِنْ كُنَّا عَنْ عِبَادَتِكُمْ لَغْفِيْنَ ﴿٢٩) هُنَالِكَ تَبُؤْا كُلُّ
نَفْسٍ تَّا أَسْلَفَتُ وَمٌُّاَ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَوْلِهُمُ الْحَقُّ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَّا
كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾ قُلْ مَنُ تَزُْفُكُمْ ◌ِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَاْأَرْضِ
أَمِّنُ يَمْلِكُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَمَنْ يُخْرِجُ الْحُىَّ مِنَ الْمَتِ
وَيُخْرِجُ الْمُبِّْتَ مِنَ الْحُسِّ وَمَنُ تُدَبُِّ الْآَمْرَ، فَسََقُوْلُوْنَ اللَّهُ:
فَقُلُ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ ﴿٣١﴾ فَذَلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمُ الْحَقُّهُ فَمَا ذَا بَعْدَ
الْحُقِّ إِلَّ الصَّلُلُ فَتَّى تُصْرِفُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾
And Allah invites (people) to the Abode of Peace and
brings whom He wills to a straight path. [25]
For those who do good there is the best, and something
more, and neither darkness nor disgrace shall cover
their faces. Those are the people of Paradise. Therein
they shall live forever. [26]
As for those who commit evils, the recompense of each
evil shall be similar to that evil, and disgrace shall cov-
er them. For them, there is none to save from Allah.
Their faces seem to be covered with layers of a dark
night. Those are the people of the Fire. Therein they
shall live forever. [27]
And (forget not) the Day We shall gather them together,
then We shall say to those who associated partners
with Allah, "Wait in your place, you and your associate-
gods." Then We shall cause a split between them, and
their associate-gods will say, "It was not us that you
worshipped. [28] So, Allah is enough as witness between
us and between you. We were certainly unaware of
your worship." [29]
Thereupon, everyone shall assess what one sent ahead,
and they will be sent back to Allah, their true Lord, and
lost to them shall be what they used to coin. [30]

540
Surah Yunus : 10 : 25 - 32
Say, "Who gives you sustenance from the heavens and
the earth? Or, who controls the (powers of) hearing
and seeing? And who brings forth the living from the
dead, and brings forth the dead from the living? And
who manages everything?" They will say, "Allah." Then,
(you) say, "Would you not, then, fear Allah?" [31]
So, that is Allah, your Lord in truth. And what is there,
after truth, but error? Where, then, are you being di-
verted? [32]
Commentary
In the previous verse (24), the transitory nature of worldly life was
likened to a field. Water came from the heavens and it became verdant
with flowers and fruits and crops. Growers were happy to presume
that this will take care of everything they needed. But, because of
their acts of disobedience, some unforeseen Divine punishment de-
scended during the time of the night or day. Everything stood wiped
off - as if nothing had existed there. This was the state of worldly life.
After that comes a description of the life-to-come as it would be (25).
It was said : وَاللهُ يَدُهُؤاً إلى دَارِ السَّلْم (And Allah invites [people] to the
Abode of Peace). It means a Home where absolute and eternal peace
reigns, a Home that has neither pain and sorrow, nor the danger of
disease, nor the concern of adverse change or sudden extinction.
'Daru 's-Salam' means the Jannah or Paradise. One reason why it
has been called Daru 's-Salam is that everyone will have ideal peace
and security there. The second reason appears in some reports from
Hadith. They say that Jannah has been given the name of Daru 's-
Salam also because its dwellers shall always be receiving Salam greet-
ings from Allah Ta'ala, and from the angels as well. In fact, the word:
Salam would itself be a sort of technical keyword used by the people of
Jannah to express their wishes which the angels would fulfill. For de-
tails, please see the commentary on verse 10.
While explaining this verse, Yahya ibn Mu'adh has given some
man-to-man advice to whomsoever it may reach:
'O son of Adam! Allah Almighty invited you to the Home of
Peace (Daru 's-Salam). When and from which country would
you take that right step in response to this Divine call? Un-
derstand, and mark it well. If you have started making efforts
to say yes to this invitation (from your Lord) while you are

541
Surah Yunus : 10 : 25 - 32
still here in this world, you will succeed. You will reach the
Home of Peace. And if you wasted the years of your life here,
then landed in your grave, and then thought of following this
call, you will be stopped. You will not move from there, not
even one step - because, the place where you are is no Home
of Deeds (Daru 'l-'Amal).'
Sayyidna 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas as Ul ya, said, 'Daru 's-Salam is one
of the seven names of Jannah.' (Tafsir al-Qurtubi)
This tells us that it is not proper to name a house in this world as
Daru 's-Salam. Similarly, it is also not correct to give it names like
Jannah or Firdaus (Paradise).
After that, it was said in the cited verse:
and) وَيَهْدِىُ مَنْ يَّشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيْم
He brings whom He wills to a straight path - 25). The sense is that the
invitation to the Abode of Peace (Daru 's-Salam) is universal, open to
all human beings and, in terms of this sense, guidance too is open to
all. But, there is a kind of guidance that is special. Here, a seeker is
made to stand on the straight path and given the ability to move
ahead on course. This is Taufiq at its best. Only fortunate people are
blessed with it.
Compared in the first two verses (24, 25) were the two Abodes of the
present world and the world-to-come. Mention was also made of the
states in which their dwellers were. The next four verses (26-29) de-
scribe the reward and punishment of both. Taken up first were the
people of Paradise. About them it was said that those who opted for
good, the greatest good was that of'Iman (belief and faith) supplement-
ed by staunch adherence to al-'amalu 's-Salih (good deeds). They will
have the best of returns for what they do, not simply what is coming to
them as due, but much more than it.
صلى اللّه عليه وسلم The tafsir of this verse was given by the Holy Prophet
himself. He explained it by saying, 'at this place, ____ I :al-husna: the
best [of return] means Jannah (Paradise) and &t; (ziyadah: something
more) means the visit to the most exalted Allah with which the people
of Jannah shall be honored. (Tafsir al-Qurtubi on the authority of Sayyidna Anas
(رضى الله عنه
As for the reality of Paradise, this much every Muslim knows that
it is a place of bliss beyond human imagination now. And as for the
visit to Allah Ta'ala, that is far superior to whatever blessings there

542
Surah Yunus : 10: 25 - 32
are.
According to a narration of Sayyidna Şuhayb s Jl +, appearing in
the Sahih of Muslim, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has been reported
to have said, 'when the people of Jannah would have entered Jannah,
Allah Ta'ala will address them: "Do you need anything? If so, tell Us.
We shall fulfill it." The people of Jannah will submit: "You made our
faces radiant with delight. You let us be in Jannah. You delivered us
from Jahannam. What else can we ask for?" That will be the time
when the hijab obstructing the view in between will be removed. The
people of Jannah, one and all, will be blessed with seeing their true
Lord. They will then discover that this was a blessing far more sub-
lime than all other blessings of Jannah, something they had not even
thought about, something the Lord of all the worlds bestowed upon
them without their having to ask for it simply out of His infinite affec-
tion and mercy!'
Then, the text describes the state of the same people of Jannah by
saying that their faces will remain free of any effects of distaste, pain
or sorrow, nor will they have to be worried about any disgrace. These
are conditions everyone faces in the mortal world one or the other time
- and those who go to Jahannam will face it in the Hereafter.
In contrast, the state of the people of Jahannam has been de-
scribed by saying that those who came with evil deeds in their record
will have an equal return for each evil without any increase in it. They
will have disgrace all over them. There will be no one to save them
from the punishment of Allah. Dark will be their faces, so dark as if
layers upon layers of a night have covered them up.
In the two verses (27,28) appearing next, there is a dialogue between
the people of Jahannam and the idols or satans who had led them
astray. The locale will be the plain of Resurrection. It was said: On
that day, We shall gather everyone. Then, to the Mushriks We shall
say that, 'you and your gods whom you had associated with Us in Our
divinity stay in your places where you are, so that you can find out the
reality of your conviction.' After that, the connection between these
people and their so-called gods as it existed in the mortal world will be
disconnected. The result will be that their idols will speak up: 'you
never worshipped us.' Making Allah their witness, they will say, 'as for
us, we were certainly unaware of your worship' - because we have no

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Surah Yunus : 10 : 25 - 32
senses, no movement and no intelligence to understand these matters.
Described in the sixth verse (30) is what would happen to both the
peoples of Jannah and Jahannam by saying that, in this excruciating
place called the plains of Resurrection, everyone would have assessed
his or her respective deeds, individually and personally, whether they
were beneficial or harmful. And they all would then be taken to their
true Lord, the only One worthy of worship. At that time, all options of
trust and support one usually looks up to will stand terminated. Even
the idols the Mushriks used to take as their patrons and intercessors
will evaporate in thin air en-block.
In the seventh and the eighth verses (31,32), the Holy Qur'an has, in
its typically wise and patronizing manner, beamed a few questions at
the Mushriks to help them regain their sanity. Addressing the Holy
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, it was said that he should ask these people: Who
gives you sustenance from the heavens and the earth? Who is the mas-
ter-controller of your ears and eyes in that you hear and see as He
wills and you do not if He wills otherwise? Who brings forth the living
from the dead, such as vegetation and trees from the soil? Or, who
brings forth humans and animals from the sperm, or a bird from an
egg? And who brings forth the dead from the living, such as a lifeless
sperm from humans and animals? And who is it that plans and man-
ages the affairs of the whole universe?
After that, it was said when these questions will be addressed to
them, all of them would say that all these things were created by One
Allah! Then, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was to ask them: Why
then, would you not fear Allah? When you know that it is Allah alone
who creates, sustains and manages everything, why do you have to
take someone else other than Him as deserving of your devotion and
obedience?
قَذْلِكُمُ اللَّهُرَبُّكُمْ الْحَقُّ، فَمَا ذَا بَعْدَ الحَقِّ إِلاَّ:In the concluding verse (32), it was said
Ma (So, that is Allah, your Lord in truth. And what is there, after
truth, but error?), that is, 'this is the Sacred Being whose attributes of
perfection have just been mentioned. Once you have found the Truth,
there remains nothing else to find except error and straying. In other
words, once it stands proved that Allah Ta'ala is the only true and
rightful object of worship, it is terribly senseless to abandon this truth
and allow yourself to be diverted elsewhere.

544
Surah Yunus : 10 :33 - 36
An important note
In relation to issues of religious beliefs embedded in this verse, it
must be borne in mind that the statement: ◌ُمَاذَا بَعْدَ الحقّإِلاَ الضَّلْل (What is
there, after truth, but error?) proves that there is no intermediary link
between truth and error. What is not the truth will be included in
error and straying. There can be no such thing that is neither truth
nor error. And it is also not possible that two opposite things could be
the truth. This is an established rule in the sight of the majority of
scholars in the Muslim Ummah. However, difference exists among
'Ulama' regarding minor and subsidiary juristic issues. In the view of
some of them, both sides would be considered as on truth in
Ijtihad-based issues and, according to the majority of them, there is
consensus on the view that the taking of contra-position in
Ijtihad-based problems cannot be termed as error and straying.
Verses 33 - 36
كَذَلِكَ حَقَّتُ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ فَسَفُؤْاْ أَنَّهُمْ لَا يُؤْ مِنُوْنَ
﴿٣٣ ﴾ قُلُ هَلُ مِنْ شُرَكَاَبِكُمْ تَنْ يَبْدَؤُا الْخَلْقَ نُمَّ يُعِيْدُهُ﴿ قُلِ
اللَّهُ يَبْدَؤُا الْخَلْقَ تُّ يُعِيْدُهُ فَأَتَّى تُؤْفَكُونَ ﴿٣٤) قُلُ هَلُ مِنُ
شُرَكَآِبِكُمْ مَنْ تَّهْدِىٌّ إِلَى الْحَقِّ،قُلِ اللّهُ يَهْدِىٌ لِلْحَقِّ ء اَفَمَنُ
يَّهُدِىٌ إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُتَّبَعَ آَمَنُ لَيَهِدِی إلّ اَنْ تُهُدَی
فَمَالَكُمْ تَ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُوْنَ ﴿٣٥﴾ وَمَا يَتَّبِعُ أَكْتَرُهُمْ ◌ِلَظَنَّاءِ إِنَّ
الظَّنَّ لَا يُغُنِى مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًاء إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلِيمٌ)) بِمَا يَفْعَلُوْنَ
This is how the Word of your Lord that they will not be-
lieve is established against those who sinned. [33]
Say, "Is there any one from your associate-gods who
originates the creation, then brings it again? Where
then, are you being turned away?" [34] Say, "Is there
any one from your associate-gods who guides to the
truth?" Say, "Allah guides to the truth. Is, then, He who
guides to the truth more worthy of being obeyed, or he
who has no guidance unless he is guided? So, what is
the matter with you? How do you judge things? [35]

545
Surah Yunus : 10 : 41 - 44
And most of them follow nothing but conjecture. Sure-
ly, conjecture does not suffice against the truth in any
way. Certainly, Allah is fully aware of what they do. [36]
Verses 37 - 40
وَمَا كَانَ هذَا الْقُرْآنُ أَنْ يُفْتَرِى مِنْ دُوْنِ اللَّهِ وَلكِنْ تَصْدِيْقَ
الَّذِىُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيْلَ الْكِتْبِ لَأَرَبُبَ فِيْهِ مِنْ رَّبٍّ
الْعُلَمِيْنَ ﴿٣» آَمْ يَقُوُلُونَ افْتَرْسُ قُلْ فَأُتُوا بِسُؤْرَةٍ ◌ِّثْلِهِ
وَادْعُوا مَنِ اسْتَطَعُهُمْ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْهُمْ صُدِقِيْنَ ﴿١٣٨
بَلْ كَذَّبُوا بِمَالَمْ يُحِيْطُوا بِعِلْمِهِ وَلَّا يَأْتِهِمْ تَأْوِيُلُهُ كَذَلِكَ
كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ فَانْظُرُ كَئِفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْظَلِمِيْنَ
﴿٣٩﴾ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ تُؤْمِنُ بِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنُ لَّ مُؤْمِنُ بِهِ، وَرَبُّكَ
اعْلَمُ بِالمُفْسِدِینَ﴿٤﴾
And this Qur'an is not such as could be made by some-
one other than Allah, but it is a confirmation of what
has been before it, and an elaboration of what is writ-
ten. There is no doubt in it. It is from the Lord of the
worlds. [37]
Or, do they say that he has made it up? Say, "Then,
bring a Surah like it, and call whomsoever you can be-
sides Allah, if you are true." [38]
But they have belied something of which they had no
comprehensive knowledge, while its implications have
not yet come to them. Likewise belied those before
them. So, look how was the fate of the unjust. [39] And
among them there are those who believe in it, and
among them there are others who do not believe in it.
And your Lord has the best knowledge about the mis-
chief-makers. [40]
Verses 41 - 44
وَإِنٌ كَذَّبُوْكَ فَقُلُ لِّيْ عَمَلِيٌ وَلَكُمُ عَمَلُكُمْ أَنْهُمْ بَيِّتُؤْنَ يِّاً
أَعْمَلُ وَأَنَا بَرِىٌٌّ ◌ِما تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٤١﴾ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ
إِلَيْكَ افَأَنْتَ تُسْمِعُ الُّمَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا لَا يَعْقِلُونَ ﴿٢٤﴾ وَمِنْهُمْ

546
Surah Yunus : 10 : 45 - 56
مَّنْ يَّنْظُرُ إِلَيْكَ افَأَنْتَ تَهْدِى الْعُمُىَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا لَا يُبْصِرُونَ
﴿٣٤﴾ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظُلِمُ الَّاسَ شَيْئًا وَلكِنَّ النَّاسَ آَنْفُسَهُمُ
يَظُلِّمُوْنَ ﴿٤٤)
And if they belie you, say, "For me, my deed, and for
you, your deed. You are not accountable for what I do
and I am not accountable for what you do." [41]
And among them there are those who listen to you.
Would you, then, make the deaf hear, even when they
lack understanding? [42] And among them there are
those who look at you. Would you, then, guide the blind
even when they have no insight? [43]
Surely, Allah does not do wrong to people at all, but the
people do wrong to their own selves. [44]
Verses 45 - 56
وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ كَانُ لَّمْ يَلْبَنُؤْآَ إِلَّ سَاعَةً مِنَ النَّهَارِ يَتَعَارَفُونَ
بَيْنَهُمْ ﴿ قَدْ خَسِرَ الَّذِيْنَ كَذَّبُوْا بِلِقَاءِ اللهِ وَمَا كَانُوا مُهُتَدِيْنَ
﴿٤٥﴾ وَإِمَّا نُرِيَتَكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِىُ نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَقَّيَنَّكَ فَإِلَيْنَا
مَرْجِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ اللَّهُ شَهِيْدٌ عَلَى مَايَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٤٦﴾ وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ
◌َّسُوهُ فَإِذَا جَاءَ رَسُولُهُمْ قُضِىَ بَبْنَهُمْ بِالْقِسْطِ وَهُمُ
لاَ يُظْلَمُوْنَ ﴿٤٧﴾ وَيَقُؤْلُوْنَ مَنَى هَذَا الْوَعْدُ إِنُّ كُنْهُمُ صُدِقِيْنَ
﴿٤٨﴾ قُلْ لَّ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِىى ضَرَّا وَلَا نَفْعًا إِلَّ مَاشَاءَ اللهُ،
لِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ، إِذَا جَآءَ آَجَلُهُمْ فَلاَ يَسْتَأُخِرُوْنَ سَاعَةً وَلَا
يَسْتَقُدِّمُوْنَ ﴿٤٩﴾ قُلْ آَرَءَيْتُمْ إِنْ آَتْكُمْ عَذَابُهُ بَيَاتًا أَوْنَهَارًا
مَّاذَا يَسْتَعْجِلُ مِنْهُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ ﴿٥٠) أَثُمَّ إِذَا مَا وَقَعَ امَنُمُ بِهُ
الَّنَ وَقَدْ كُنْهُمْ بِهِ تَسْتَعْجِلُوْنَ ﴿٥١﴾ ثُمَّ قِيْلَ لِلَّذِيْنَ ظَلَهُوْا
ذُوَّقُوا عَذَابَ الْخُلْدِ هَلْ تُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّ بِمَا كُنْتُمُ تَكُسِبُونَ ﴿٥٢﴾
وَيَسْتَفُْنَكَ أَحَقُّ هُوَ﴿ قُلُ إِىْ وَرَيِّئُ إِنَّهْ لَقُّهُ وَمَّا أَنْهُمُ

547
Surah Yunus : 10 : 45 - 56
بِمُعْجِزِيْنَ ﴿٢°﴾ وَلَوْ آَنَّ لِكُلِّ نَفْسٍ ظَلَمَتْ مَافِى الْأَرْضِ
لَافُتَدَتُ بِهِ﴿ وَآَسَتُوا النَّدَامَةَ لَأَرَّاوُا الْعَذَابَ وَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ
بِالْقِسْطِ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُوْنَ ﴿٤﴾ آلّ إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى السَّمُوْتِ
وَالْأَرْضِء آلَّ إِنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُوْنَ ﴿٥٥﴾
هُوَ يُحْىِ وَيُمِيْتُ وَإِلَيْهِ تَرْجَعُوْنَ ﴿٥٦)
And the Day when He will gather them, (they will feel)
like they had not stayed for any longer than a fraction
of a day as they will recognize each other. Losers, in-
deed, are those who deny that they will ever face Allah,
and they are not on the right path. [45]
So, no matter whether We show you some of what We
warn them of, or We take you back to Us (before it), in
any case, they have to return to Us. Then, Allah is wit-
ness to what they do. [46]
And for every people there is a messenger. So, when
their messenger comes, the matter will be decided be-
tween them with justice, and they shall not be
wronged. [47]
And they say, "When will this promise be (fulfilled) if
you are true?" [48] Say, "I have no power to bring a
harm or a benefit to myself, except what Allah wills.
For every people there is an appointed time. When
their time comes, they will not be late for a moment,
nor will they be earlier. [49]
Say, "Just tell me, if His punishment befalls you at
night or by day, what is there in it that the sinners
wish to come soon? [50]
Is it then when it befalls you that you will believe in it?
Now (you believe)? And you have been asking for it to
come sooner!" [51]
Then it will be said to the unjust, "Taste the punish-
ment lasting for ever. You shall not be punished except
for what you have been earning." [52]
And they want you to tell them whether it is true. Say,
"Yes, by my Lord, it is true. And you cannot frustrate
(His plan)." [53]

548
Surah Yunus : 10 : 45 - 56
-
And if anyone who did wrong possesses all that there is
on earth, he would ransom himself with it. And they
will conceal their remorse when they will see the pun-
ishment. And the matter will be decided between them
with justice and they will not be wronged. [54]
Look! To Allah belongs all that there is in the heavens
and the earth. Look! Allah's promise is certainly true,
but most of them do not know. [55]
He gives life and brings death, and to Him you shall be
returned. [56]
Commentary
In verse 45, it was said: 46pus (they will recognize each other),
that is, when the dead will be raised from their graves, they will recog-
nize each other as if not much time had passed when they met last.
Imam al-Baghawi said: This recognition will be possible during the
early stage. Later, when the horrendous happenings of the Qiyamah,
the Day of Doom, will unfold, this ability to recognize each other will
stand disabled. According to some other narrations, the ability to rec-
ognize each other will, though, still remain, but such will be the awe of
the situation that they will be unable to say anything. (Mazhari)
It was said in verse 51: 30 221 ; if It means: 'Would you be-
lieve when Divine punishment actually descends down upon you -
whether at the time of death, or even before it? But, at that time, the
response to your believing will be: ¿ JI: ('al'an: now?) meaning: Is it now
that you have come to believe while the time of believing has already
passed? This is similar to what the Pharaoh said while drowning: si der
I believe that there is no god except the One in") لّ إِلهَ إِلاَّ الَّذِىُّ امَنَتُ بِهِ بَنُواْ إِسْرَآ ءِيُلَ
whom the Children of Isra'il believe - 10:90). In answer, it was said: 35r
('al'an: now?) and this believing by him was not accepted. In Hadith,
the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has said, 'Allah Ta'ala keeps accepting
the repentance of His servant until he is seized by the agony of death.'
It means that believing and repenting at the time of the agony of
death is not credible in the sight of Allah. Similarly, in the mortal
world, Taubah (repentance) could be accepted if done before the actual
falling of the Divine punishment. Once the punishment strikes, Tau-
bah is not accepted. The event related to the people of Sayyidna Yunus
JILe going to appear towards the end of the Surah in which their

549
Surah Yunus : 10 : 57 - 61
Taubah was accepted falls under this very rule. They had seen the
punishment coming from a distance. Moved earnestly, weeping and
wailing, they made their Taubah in all sincerity. Therefore, the pun-
ishment was withdrawn. Had it struck them, their Taubah would have
remained unaccepted.
Verses 57 - 61
لاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَ تُكُمْ قَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَشِفَاءٌ لَِّ فِى
الصُّدُوْرِةِ وَهُدَّى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِيْنَ ﴿٥٧﴾ قُلُ بِفَضْلِ اللهِ
وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذْلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُواه ◌ُوَ خَيْه ◌ِمَا يَجْمَعُونَ ﴿٥٨) قُلُ
أَرَ بَيُّهُمْ تَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ قِنْ رِزْقٍ فَجَعَلُهُمْ قِنُهُ حَرَامًا
وَحَلْلاَءُ قُلُ اللّهُ آَذِنَ لَكُمْ آَمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَفْتَرُونَ ﴿٥٩﴾ وَمَا ظَنّ
الَّذِينَ يَفْتَرُوْنَ عَلَى اللهِ الْكَذِبَ يَوْمَ الْقِيمَةِ* إِنَّ اللَّهَ
لَذُوُفَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلِكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَمَا
تَكُوُنُ فِىٌ شَأْنٍ وَمَا تَتْلُوا مِنْهُ مِنْ قُزَانٍ وَلَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ مِنُ
عَمَلٍ إِلَّكُنَّا عَلَيْكُمْ شُهُوْدًا إِذْ تَفِيُضُونَ فِيْهِ، وَمَا يَعُزُبُ
عَنُ رَّبِّكَ مِن ◌ِّتُقَالٍ ذَرَّةٍ فِى الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِى السَّمَاءِ وَلَ
أَصْغَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَلَّ اكْبَرَ إِلَّ فِىْ كِتُبٍ ◌ُبِئْنٍ
O men, there has come to you an advice from your
Lord, and a cure for what is in your hearts, and guid-
ance and mercy for the believers. [57]
Say, "With the grace of Allah and with His mercy" -
with these they should rejoice. It is far better than
what they accumulate. [58]
Say, "Tell me, whatever provision Allah has sent down
for you, you have made out from it lawful and unlaw-
ful." Say, "Has Allah permitted you or are you fabricat-
ing a lie on Allah?" [59]
And what is the assumption of those who fabricate a lie
on Allah (about) the Day of Doom? Surely, Allah is all
gracious to people, but most of them are not grateful.
[60]

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Surah Yunus : 10 :57 - 61
And in whatever condition you are, and whatever por-
tion of the Qur'an you recite therein, and whatever
work you (all) do, We are present before you when you
are involved in it. And hidden from your Lord is noth-
ing even to the measure of a particle on the earth or in
the heavens. And there is nothing smaller or greater
that is not there in the clear Book. [61]
Commentary
Previous verses described how astray the disbelievers and polythe-
ists had gone and what punishments had become due against them in
the Hereafter.
Shown to them in the first two verses was the way out of their liv-
ing in error and also the source through which they would find deliver-
ance from the punishment of the Hereafter. And that source is Qur'an,
the Book of Allah, and His Messenger, Muhammad al-Mustafa
Both are great blessings for humanity, far superior to the entire
blessings of the heavens and the earth. Following the injunctions of
the Qur'an and the way of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم go on to make
human beings human in the real sense - and when this human person
becomes the perfect man in the real sense, the whole world corrects
and reorders itself like a paradise on earth.
The first (57) of the five verses cited above mentions four attributes
of the Holy Qur'an:
1. ADVICE as in all" (an advice from your Lord).
The real meaning of the word: they (maw'izah) and: he, (wa'z) is to
delineate such things as would make one's heart soft and receptive. As
a result, it would incline towards Allah Ta'ala. The barrier of heedless-
ness acquired from excessive indulgence in worldly life will stand re-
moved. Ultimately, this advice would result in the flowering of a per-
sonal concern for what would happen in Akhirah, the life ahead. The
Holy Qur'an, from the beginning to the end, is an eloquent preacher of
this very good counsel. See anywhere, you will find promise with
warning, reward with punishment, and prosperity and success in Dun-
ya and Akhirah with a corresponding fate due to error and straying.
Appearing recurrently in varying shades and blending, it generates a
powerful appeal which has the ability to make a heart stone-hard turn
soft and pliable like water all ready to absorb the message. Of course,

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Surah Yunus : 10 : 57 - 61
on top of everything, there is the miraculous diction of the Holy Qur'an
that, by itself, has a class of its own in the matter of reversal of hearts.
The complement of: 53 (from your Lord) with they (advice) has
elevated the status of Qur'anic advice to a much higher level. It is tell-
ing us that this advice is not coming from a helpless human being that
does not hold the keys to anyone's profit and loss or reward and pun-
ishment, nor has any credibility of his own. Instead, the advice is from
the merciful Lord whose Word admits of no error, and whose promise
and warning too are free of any apprehension of some weakness or ex-
cuse.
2. CURE as in :ِشِفَاءٌلَّ فِي الصُّدُور (a cure for what is in your hearts).
The word: . la (shifa') means the removal of disease and: „. (şudur)
is the plural form of: yo (sadr) which means the chest, and it signifies
the heart.
The sense is that the Holy Qur'an is a successful remedy of the dis-
eases of the heart. It corrects and cures it as a prescription of legen-
dary elixir would. The famous Hasan al-Basri said, 'from this attribute
of the Qur'an, we learn that it is a cure for the diseases of the heart
specifically, and not that of physical diseases. (Ruh al-Ma'ani)
But, other scholars have said that the Holy Qur'an is a cure for
every disease, whether spiritual or physical. However, spiritual diseas-
es are far more harmful for men and women than physical diseases.
Then, the treatment of such diseases too is not in everyone's control.
Therefore, at this place, only spiritual diseases that relate to the heart
have been mentioned. From this it does not necessarily follow that it is
not a cure for physical diseases.
Hadith reports and countless experiments of the religious scholars
of the Muslim community are witnesses to the fact that the way the
Holy Qur'an is a great elixir for diseases of the heart, very similarly, it
is the best of treatments for physical diseases also.
As narrated by Sayyidna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri As Julgo,, someone
came to Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and complained that he felt he had
a chest problem. He said, 'recite the Qur'an, for Allah Ta'ala says: "
„a_ that is, 'the Qur'an is a cure for all such diseases as are found
insides chests.' (Ruh al-Ma'ani from Ibn Marduwayh)

552
Surah Yunus : 10: 57 - 61
Similarly, according to the narration of Sayyidna Wathilah ibn
Asqa رضى الله عنه, someone came to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and
said that he had a throat problem. He told him the same thing - 'recite
the Qur'an'.
Scholars of the Muslim community have compiled the properties
and efficacies of the Qur'anic verses in regular books by extracting
these partly from narratives of Hadith and the sayings of the Sahabah,
and partly from their own experiments and experience. Imam al-
Ghazali's work on 'Qur'anic Properties' is well known in this area.
Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanavi's "A'mal-i-Qur'anil, an abridgement of
this work, has been popular among readers of Urdu for over fifty
years. Then, there are so many observations and experiments in this
field which prove that different verses of the Holy Qur'an have been a
total cure for physical diseases as well. Denying all of them is not pos-
sible. However, this much can be conceded that the real purpose of the
revelation of the Holy Qur'an is to remove the diseases of the heart
and soul while, as a corollary, it is also the most effective treatment of
even physical diseases.
This also tells us that those who recite the Holy Qur'an only to
treat physical diseases or to seek nothing but the fulfillment of worldly
needs are low in sense and high in waywardness. Such people never
bother to correct spiritual diseases, nor do they pay any heed to the
need of doing things in accordance with the instructions given by the
Qur'an. For such people, Iqbal said:
كه ازهم خواندنش آسان بميرى
ترا حاصل زيس اش جزين نيست
Your gain from Ya Sin is but that:
By reciting it, death becomes easy.
Though, he is suggesting, had you pondered over its meaning and
message, realities and insights, you would have gained much more of
its benefits and blessings.
Some research-oriented commentators who have gone deeper into
the meanings of the Qur'an have said that the first attribute of the
Qur'an, that is, diey (maw'izah: advice, good counsel) relates to man's
obvious, outward or physically-accomplished deeds known as the Sha-
ri'ah. The Holy Qur'an is the best source of the correction and better-
ment of such deeds. Then, the second attribute : ◌ِشِفَاءٌ لَِّ فِي الصُّدُور (a cure for

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Surah Yunus: 10:57 - 61
what is in your hearts) relates to man's hidden, inward or heart-
oriented deeds known as Tariqah and Taşawwuf.
3. GUIDANCE as in: , (and guidance).
The word: " (huda) means guidance or the showing of or leading
onto the way. The Holy Qur'an invites human beings to the way of
truth and faith. It invites them to ponder over the great signs Allah
Ta'ala has placed in the near and far ranges of the world, even inside
their own person, [staggering would certainly be the interior distances
of the universe within us] and recognize the creator and master of
everything.
4. MERCY as in >>, (and mercy for the believers).
قُلٌ بِفَضُلِ اللهِ وَبِرَحُمَتِهِ فَبِذْلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَمُوا، هُوَ خَيْرٌمِّ :In the second verse (58), it was said
3&& (Say, "With the grace of Allah and with His mercy" - in these
they should rejoice. It is far better than what they accumulate). The
sense of the verse is that people should take only the grace and mercy
of Allah Ta'ala as the real thing to be delighted about and be pleased
with it. As for the short-lived worldly wealth, possession, comfort and
recognition, these are things not worth being happy about in the real
sense. Because, to start with, no matter how much one has, it turns
out to be not as much as one would have wished. It becomes a cycle
that never ends. Then, there is that ever-lurking danger that it may
start declining any time. Therefore, at the end of the verse, it was said:
Belki tepe ; (It is far better than what they accumulate). Thus, the
core of the meaning is that the grace and mercy of Allah is far better
than the layers upon layers of wealth and property and worldly recog-
nition and power one accumulates as the sum-total of one's entire life.
Two things have been identified as a source of delight in this verse,
one being grace, and the other, mercy. What do these two mean here?
Regarding this, there is a Hadith from Sayyidna Anas as Ul z>, where
فضل said, 'the صلى الله عليه وسلم it has been reported that the Holy Prophet
:fa dl (grace) of Allah denotes the Qur'an and: >, : rahmah (mercy)
means that you were blessed with the taufiq (ability) of reciting the
Qur'an and acting in accordance with it.' (Ruh al-Ma'ani from Ibn Mardu-
wayh)
The same thing has also been reported from Sayyidna Bara' ibn
'Azib and Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri رضى الله عنهم أجمعين while there are