Indexed OCR Text

289
Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 42 - 52
mean that another set of the earth and the sky would be made in the
place of the present ones. Out of the narrations of Hadith reported on
this subject, only some of them seem to indicate either a change in fea-
tures only while others suggest a change of the thing itself.
Hadith authority, Al-Baihaqi has reported from Sayyidna 'Abdullah
ibn Mas'ud 4% as based on authentic chains of narration that, about this
verse, the Holy Prophet
said: 'The ground of Al-Mahshar (the plain of
Resurrection) will be brand new, radiant white like silver. And this
earth surface would be such that no sin would have been committed over
it by anyone, and on which no blood belonging to someone killed unjustly
would have been shed.' The same subject appears in the Hadith reported
in the Musnad of Ahmad and Tafsir Ibn Jarir, as narrated by Sayyidna
Anas 449. (Tafsir Mazhari)
In the Sahihayn (the two Sahihs) of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, there is
a narration from Sayyidna Sahl Ibn Sa'd 4ee which reports that the Holy
Prophet
said: 'On the day of Qiyamah, people will be resurrected on
an earth surface which will be clean and white like refined pita bread
with no trace of anything else (such as house, garden, tree, mountain,
mound etc.,). Al-Biahaqi has reported the same subject from Sayyidna
'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas 4
as in his Tafsir of this particular verse.
And Hakim, backed by a strong chain of authority, has reported from
a narration of Sayyidna Jabir 4
that the Holy Prophet 4 % said: 'On the
day of Qiyamah, this earth will be stretched like leather so that its wrin-
kles and crinkles are smoothed out (because of which caves and moun-
tains of the earth would be all levelled down turning it into a flat sur-
face), and at that time gathered on these plains there shall be the whole
progeny of Adam. Such will be the multitude of people that one human
being would have only as much land in his or her share as he or she can
stand on. Then, I shall be the first to be called on the plains of Resurrec-
tion. There I shall fall down in prostration before the Almighty Lord, and
when I shall be given the permission to intercede, I shall intercede for
the whole creation so that they go through the reckoning of their deeds
swiftly.'

290
Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 42 - 52
This last report obviously seems to indicate that the change made in
the earth will be restricted to a change in its physical features, that is,
caves, mountains, buildings and trees will not remain there. But, the
earth itself will remain as it is. And all other narrations mentioned earli-
er tell us that the earth of the day of Resurrection (Al-Mahshar) will be
an earth other than the present one. As for the change mentioned in this
verse, it means the change of the earth itself.
In Bayan al-Qur'an, Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanavi de il a, has said
that there is no contradiction here. It is possible that the features of the
present earth will be changed at the time the first Horn is blown, then
people will be transferred to some other earth for the purpose of reckon-
ing of deeds.
A saying of Sayyidna 'Ikrimah 4
appearing in the Musnad of 'Abd
ibn al-Humaid and reported in Tafsir Mazhari supports the view given
above. The words used there can be translated as: 'This earth will
contract and it will have another earth by its side on which people will
stand for reckoning.'
As based on a narration of Sayyidna Thawban 40, it has been
reported in the Sahih of Muslim that a Jewish rabbi came to the Holy
Prophet
and asked him: When this earth is changed, where would
people be?
He said: They would be in a dark area near the Bridge of
Şirat.
From here we also learn that people will be transferred from the pre-
sent earth over to the other through the Bridge of Sirat. And Ibn Jarir
has reported from several Şahabah and Tabi'in in his Tafsir that the pre-
sent earth and all its rivers will turn into fire at that time. In other
words, all this territory which now holds the population of the world will
become the territory of Hell. However, the reality of things is known to
Allah Ta'ala alone. A servant of His can do nothing but to live by his com-
mittment to Him and not go about seeking the cause of His workings.
In verses 50 and 51 towards the end, given there is the state in which
the people of Jahannam will find themselves. Culprits will be shackled

291
Surah Ibrahim : 14 : 42 - 52
together in chains, that is, each group huddled separately and then
shackled together. And the dress they would be made to wear will be
from 'Qatiran' which is a highly inflammable tar-like oil and would catch
fire instantly.
Finally, in the last verse (52), it was made clear that the description
of conditions to be faced by people on the day of Qiyamah was to warn
them so that they would realize that there is no Being worthy of worship
and obedience except the One Being of Allah Ta'ala, and so that whoever
from among them has some sense left in him or her would desist from
Shirk while there was still the time to do so.
With the help and grace of Allah Ta'ala
The Commentary on
Surah Ibrahim
ends here.

295
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 1 - 5
Surah Al-Hijr
Surah al-Hijr was revealed in Makkah and it has 99 Verses and 6 sections
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 5
الّرْقَّ تِلْكَ أَيْتُ الْكِتْبِ وَقُرْان مُّبَيْنِ ﴿١﴾ رُبَمَا يَوَدُّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا لَوُ
كَانُوْا مُسْلِمِينَ ﴿٢﴾ ذَرُهُمْ يَأْكُلُوا وَيَتَمَّتَّعُوا وَيُلْهِهِمُ الْأَمَلُ فَسَوُفَ
يَعْلَمُوْنَ ﴿٢﴾ وَمَآ أَهْلَكْنَا مِنُ قَرْيَةٍ إِلاَّ وَلَهَا كِتَابٌ مَّعُلُوُمٌ ﴿٤﴾ مَاتَسُبِقُ
مِنْ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ ﴿٥﴾
Alif, Lam, Ra. These are verses of the Book, the Qur'an
which makes things clear. [1]
On occasions, the disbelievers would wish that they
were Muslims. [2] Let them eat and enjoy, and let (their)
fancy make them neglectful, for they shall soon come to
know. [3]
And We did not destroy any town, but it had a pre-deter-
mined decree. [4] No people can precede their appointed
time nor can they exceed it. [5]
Commentary
From: ...... 1,1544453 (Let them eat ... 3) we can see that the making of
eating and drinking the real occupation and aim of life, and keeping
glued to long-drawn material plans while surrounded by countless
things of worldly comfort, and becoming totally heedless to death, is so-
mething which can be done only by the disbelievers. The reason is that
they do not believe in the 'Akhirah, the life to come, and the accounting

296
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 1 - 5
of deeds there, and the reward and punishment for it. As for eating and
drinking, a believer does it too, and takes care of economic needs to the
measure of necessity, and makes future plans for occupation and busi-
ness as well. But, a believer would not make all these efforts by forget-
ting death and ignoring the concern for 'Akhirah. Therefore, he is careful
about everything he does and finds out whether it is Halal or Haram,
permissible or forbidden. Then, he does not occupy himself in the mak-
ing of wasteful or unnecessary plans and projections, as hobby or compul-
sion. The Holy Prophet
said: Four things are signs of being unfortu-
nate: (1) Not being able to shed tears (that is, not being in tears when
ashamed of acts of negligence and sin); (2) and hard-heartedness; (3) fan-
ciful hopes and plans for the future; (4) and the greed for worldly things.
(Qurțubi from Musnad al-Bazzar from Sayyidna Anas 4
And the expression: Mal' 'let (their) fancy make them neglectful'
means the making of long-drawn plans with engrossing love, and the
greed for the material without any concern for death and 'Akhirah.
(Qurțubi) As for plans made to achieve religious objectives, or those made
to guard the future interests of a people or country, they are not included
here - because, that is a form of the concern for 'Akhirah itself.
The Holy Prophet
said: The first set of people from this Ummah
will have their salvation because of their perfect faith, and avoidance of
the pursuit of the material (dunya); and the later people of the Ummah
will be destroyed because of miserliness, and fancies projected too far.
It has been reported from Sayyidna Abu Ad-Darda' 4
that he stood
up on the Mimbar of Jami' Masjid of Damascus and said:
'O people of Damascus, would you listen to what this well-wish-
ing brother of yours has to say? So, listen to me. There have
been big people before you who made big money, collected gold
and things, built magnificent palaces and made long-hauled
plans and projections for the future. Today they are dust. Their
residences are their graves. And all their long winded hopes
and plans have proved to be no more than a web of deception.
Close to you lived the people of 'Ad who had stuffed their coun-
try with their fighting men, wealth, means, possessions, arms
and horses. Is there someone around who would be ready to
buy what they left behind as their legacy for two silver dir-
hams from me?'

297
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 6 - 8
Imam Al-Hasan Al-Bașri J All , said: A person with long plans,
hopes and fancies is bound to ruin his proper conduct in life. (Al-Qurțubi)
Verses 6 - 8
وَقَالُوا يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِىُ نُزّلَ عَلَيْهِ الذِّكُرُ إِنَّكَ لَمَحْنُوُنٌ ﴿ٌ﴾ لَوْمَا تَأْتِيُّنَا
بِالْمَلْفِكَةِ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصُّدِقِينَ ﴿﴿ مَا نُنَزِّلُ الْمَلْفِكَةَ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَمَا
كَانُواْ إِذَا مُّنُظَرِيْنَ ﴿1﴾
And they said, "O you to whom the Dhikr (the Qur'an)
has been revealed, you are certainly insane. [6] Why do
you not bring the angels to us if you are among the
truthful?" [7] We do not send down the angels except
with what is true and then they shall be given no res-
pite. [8]
Explanatory Notes
1. The word: ◌ّالحَق (what is true) in: ◌ّإِلاَّ بالحَق (illa bi al-haqq: translated
as 'except with what is true') means the decision to send down punish-
ment. Some commentators take them to be denoting the Qur'an, or pro-
phethood. In Bayan al-Qur'an, preferance has been given to the first
meaning which has been reported from al-Hasan al-Basri. Maulana Ash-
raf 'Ali Thanavi has explained these verses as given below.
2. And these disbelievers (of Makkah) said to the Holy Prophet
"O you to whom the Qur'an has been revealed, (as you claim, then,) you
are certainly (God forbid) insane (and your claim to prophethood is false,
otherwise) why would you not bring the angels to us (who will testify
لَوُ لاَ أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ فَيَكُونَ مَعَه؛ :your truthfulness before us - as in Surah Al-Furgan
GJ : 'Why is not an angel sent down unto him, to be a warner with him?
[25:7] which is answered by Allah Ta'ala:) We send down the angels (in
the manner asked by them) only to enforce a decision (and had that been
the case) then they would have been given no respite either (in fact,
when they would have not believed even after their having come - as
their ways guarantee - they would have been destroyed instantly, the re-
ason for which has already appeared in the later verses of the first sec-
tion of Surah Al-An'am: 6:8,9).

298
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 9
Verse 9
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكُرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ، لَحَفِظُونَ ﴿٠﴾
We, Ourselves, have sent down the Dhikr (the Qur'an),
and We are there to protect it. [9]
Commentary
An Episode from the Court of Ma'mun
Imam Al-Qurtubi has authentically reported an event from the court
of 'Abbasi Khalifah, Al-Ma'mun. He was used to patronizing occasional
debates on intellectual issues at his court where all scholars were wel-
come. It so happened that a Jew came to attend one of these debates. By
his looks, dress and manners, he seemed to be an elegant person. Then,
his address during the debate was eloquent and intellectually bright.
When the meeting was over, Ma'mun called for him and asked him if he
was an Israelite, which he confirmed. To test him, Ma'mun asked him to
become a Muslim in which case he could hope to have the best possible
treatment from him.
He said that he was not willing to leave the religion of his forefathers
which was his religion too. The matter ended there. That person went
away. Then, after a year, the same person returned as a Muslim and
made a very distinct contribution in the court meeting on the subject of
Islamic jurisprudence. After the session was over, Ma'mun called for him
and asked him if he was the same person who had come last year. He
said: Yes, I am. Ma'mun asked: At that time you had refused to accept Is-
lam. Tell me what made you accept Islam now.
He said: When I went back from here, I decided to do some research
on contemporary religions. I am a scribe. I write books and sell them.
They bring good price. This time I wanted to make a test. First, I calli-
graphed three manuscripts of the Torah in which I made some additions
and deletions on my own. I took these manuscripts to the Synagogue.
The Jews found them interesting and bought them. Then, I did the same
things with the Injil. I calligraphed three manuscripts, complete with my
additions and deletions, and took them to the Church where the Chris-
tians were pleased with these manuscripts and bought them from me.
After that, I tried the same thing with the Qur'an. I calligraphed three
good looking manuscripts of the Qur'an, of course with the usual addi-

299
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 9
tions and deletions of my own. When I went out to sell them, I faced a
problem. Every buyer I went to would take the manuscript, look into it
to determine if it was correct or not, and when he would notice additions
or deletions made into it, he would quietly return the manuscript back to
me.
From this episode, I learnt my lesson that this Book is protected, and
protected by Allah Ta'ala Himself, therefore, I embraced Islam. Qadi
Yahya ibn Aktham, the narrator of this event says that, by chance, he
had the taufiq of performing his Hajj in the same year. There he met Suf-
yan ibn 'Uyainah to whom he related this event. He said: Surely, this is
how it should be because this is confirmed by the Qur'an. Yahya ibn Akt-
ham asked about the 'ayah he had in mind. He said: When the glorious
بِمَا اسْتُحُفِظُوْا مِنْ كِتْبِ :Qur'an mentions the Torah and the Injil, there it says
¿I (that is, the Jews and Christians have been entrusted with the respon-
sibility of protecting the Torah and Injil, the Books of Allah - 5:44). This
is the reason why, when the Jews and Christians did not fulfill their
duty of protecting them, these Books were lost through distortions and
alterations. This is contrary to the case of the Holy Qur'an about which
Allah Ta'ala has said: 'La J 'J LI (And We are there to protect it - 9).
Thus, when Allah Ta'ala Himself arranged to have it remain protected,
then, despite thousands of efforts made by enemies, not a single change
in one tiny dot or case mark could be made. Today, over fourteen hun-
dred years have passed since even the blessed age of the Holy Prophet
, and there has been a shortfall and neglect on the part of Muslims in
all areas of their religious matters, yet the continuous arrangement of
memorizing the Holy Qur'an all over the world stands firmly established
as it was. In every period of time, there are millions of Muslims, old and
young, male and female, always present on the scene, blessed people in
whose hearts and minds the Holy Qur'an lives protected. Before them,
not even the highest of the high religious scholar can dare recite a single
letter of the Qur'an wrong, for there would be around at that time many,
seniors or children, who would promptly apprehend the error.
The Promise to Protect the Qur'an
Includes the Protection of Hadith
As a matter of principle, all learned people agree that the Qur'an is
neither the name of the words of the Qur'an alone, nor that of its mean-
ings alone, instead, a combination of both is called the Qur'an. The rea-

300
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 9
son is that Qur'anic meanings and subjects appear in other books as
well, and as for Islamic writings, their subjects are essentially Qur'anic,
but they are not called Qur'an - because, they are not the words of the
Qur'an. Similarly, if a person were to borrow different words and sen-
tences from the Holy Qur'an and write an article or treatise, no one will
call this too by the name of Qur'an, even though there is no word from
outside the Qur'an. This tells us that the Qur'an is the exclusive name of
the particular Divinely revealed Book the words and meanings of which
are simultaneously protected.
This also leads us to the ruling that the practice of people who pub-
lish the translation of the Qur'an only in a foreign language and give it
the name, for example, an English Qur'an or an Urdu Qur'an, is not per-
missible at all - because, that is not the Qur'an. And when we know that
Qur'an is not the name of the words of the Qur'an alone, but that its
meaning too are a part of it, then, the responsibility of protecting the
Qur'an taken upon Himself in this verse by Allah Ta'ala covers the total
protection of the words of the Qur'an as well as the meanings of the
Qur'an in that they remain protected against alteration or distortion.
And it is obvious that the meanings of the Qur'an are the same as
the Holy Prophet
was sent to teach - as pointed out in the Qur'an:
It means: You have been sent to explain the meaning .(16:44) لِلنَّاسِ مَانُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمُ
of what has been revealed for them.' And this is what the verse: 44
.Teaches them the Book and the Wisdom' (3:164) also means": الْكِتُبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ
And that is why he said:
إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ مُعَلِّمًا
'As for me, I have been sent as a teacher.'
Now, when the Holy Prophet
was sent to explain the meanings of
the Qur'an and to impart education to people, then, he used a set of his
sayings and doings as the medium of instruction for his community, and
this very set of his words and deeds is known as the Hadith.
One who says that the Ahadith of the Rasul of Allah
are not absolutely protected is really saying that
the Qur'an is not protected.
There are people around who would like to deceive the whole world
by saying that the treasure of Ahadith present in authentic books is not

301
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 10 - 15
trustworthy because it has been documented much later than the
blessed age of the Holy Prophet
. First of all, even this assumption of
theirs is not correct because the process of protection and documentation
of Ahadith had already started within the age of prophethood itself,
though it was completed later. In addition to that, the Hadith of the
Rasul of Allah is really the explanation of the Qur'an and the meaning of
the Qur'an. Their protection is something which Allah Ta'ala has taken
upon Himself. Then, how can it be possible that only the words of the
Qur'an remain protected while the meanings of the Qur'an (that is, the
Ahadith of the Rasul) go to waste?
Verses 10 - 15
وَلَقَدُ أَرُسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فِىُ شِيَعِ الْأَوَّلِيْنَ ﴿١٠) وَمَا يَأْتِيُهِمُ مِّنُ رَّسُوْلِ
إِلَّ كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهُزِءُ وُنَ ﴿١١) كَذْلِكَ نَسْلُكُهُ فِىٌ قُلُوُبِ الْمُحْرِمِينَ
﴿١٢﴾ لاَيُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ وَقَدْ خَلَتُ سُنَّةُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿٢﴾ وَلَوْ فَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ
بَابًا مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ فَظَلُّوْا فِيُهِ يَعْرُجُونَ ﴿١٢) لَقَالُوْا إِنَّمَا سُكِرَتُ
أَبْصَارُنَا بَلُ نَحُنُ قَوْمٌ مَّسُحُوُرُونَ ﴿٢﴾
And We did send the messengers before you among the
groups of earlier peoples. [10] And no messenger came to
them but they used to mock at him. [11] This is how We
make it enter into the hearts of the sinners, [12] (where-
by) they do not believe in it (the Qur'an). And this has
been the way of earlier people. [13] And even if We were
to open a gate in the sky and they keep ascending
through it, [14] still they will say, "It is nothing but that
our eyes have been deluded and that we are a people
bewitched. [15]
A Lexical Note of Explanation
The word: All in the first verse (10) is the plural form of: s (shi'ah)
which means the follower or helper of a person. Then, it is also used to
denote a group which agrees upon particular beliefs and theoretical as-
sumptions. So, the sense of the statement is that Allah Ta'ala has sent
messengers among every group or sect. Here, by using the word: (fi)
in :َفِى شِيَعِ الْأَوَّلِين in place of الى : la: to (translated as 'among the groups of

302
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 16
earlier peoples'), the hint given is that the messenger for every group
was sent from among that particular group so that people would find it
easy to trust him, and that he too, by being aware of their taste and tem-
perament, could make appropriate plans to work for their reform.
Verse 16
وَلَقَدُ جَعَلْنَا فِى السَّمَآءِ بُرُوُجًا وَّزَيَّنْهَا لِلنّظِرِينَ (٢)
And We have created stellar formations in the sky and
have beautified them for the onlookers. [16]
Sequence
Mentioned in the previous verses was the doggedness and hostility of
deniers and disbelievers. In the present verse, and in those which follow
immediately after, clear proofs of the Oneness, Knowledge and Power of
Allah Ta'ala have been given. Described alongside is what transpires be-
fore His creation between the heavens and the earth, a little deliberation
in which on the part of a sensible person would make any denial impos-
sible.
Commentary
The word: [,"" is the plural of: " (burj) which is applied to big pa-
laces and castles and to similar other structural entities. Tafsir author-
ities Mujahid, Qatadah, Abu Salih and others have explained 'burūj' at
this place in the sense of big stars. As for the statement in this verse
which points to the creation of these big stars in the sky, the word: UJÍ
(as-sama') or sky means atmosphere which, in common modern day ter-
minology, is called the 'space.' The application of 'as-sama" in both these
senses is common, and recognized. Thus, the physical presence of deep
space is identified as 'as-sama" and the atmosphere much lower than it
has also been repeatedly termed as 'as-sama" in the Holy Qur'an. As for
the planets and stars being in the space, and not in the skies, the rele-
vant investigative details, as coordinated with the verses of the Qur'an
and classical and modern astronomy, will Inshallah appear under our
تَبْرَكَ الَّذِىُ جَعَلَ فِى السَّمَاءِ بُرُوُجًا وَّجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَاجًا وَّقَمَرًا مُنِيرًا : comments on the verse
(Blessed is He Who made in the sky stellar formations and made in it
the Sun and the Moon providing light) of Surah Al-Furqan (25 :61).

303
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 17 - 18
Verses 17 - 18
وَحَفِظْهَا مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْطْنٍ رَّحِيمٍ (١٢) إِلَّ مَنِ اسْتَرَقَ السَّمُعَ فَتْبَعَه"
شِهَابٌ مُّبَيْنٌ ﴿١٨)
... and have protected them from every outcast satan, [17]
but the one who tries to eavesdrop is chased by a clearly
visible flame. [18]
Commentary
The Meteor
The first thing these verses prove is that the satans have no access
to the heavens. That Shaytan the accursed was in the heavens at the
time of the creation of Sayyidna 'Adam &dl and that he deceived 'Adam
and Hawwa (Eve) >.JI Lagle were events which took place before they ap-
peared on the earth. Upto that time, the entry of the Jinns and satans in
the heavens was not prohibited. It was after the coming down of
Sayyidna 'Adam &
and the expulsion of the Shaytan that this entry
إِنَّا كُنَّا نَقُعُدُ مِنُهَا مَقَاعِدَ :was banned. From what has been said in Surah Al-Jinn
And we used to sit in ambush at places) لِلسَّمُعَ فَمَنُ يَّسُتَمِعِ الْأَنَ يَجِدُ لّه، شِهَابًا رَّصَدًا
from it so as to eavesdrop. Whoever then tries to hear would find for him
a flame in hot pursuit - 72:9), it appears that, before the coming of the
Holy Prophet , the satans could overhear about things happening in
the heaven through the mutual conversation of angels. This does not ne-
cessarily imply that that the satans used to hear about such information
by entering into the heavens. The first sentence of the verse quoted
above: ◌َنَقُعُدُ مِنُهَا مَقَاعِد gives the sense that they would enter the atmospheric
zone where clouds abound like thieves, would sit there in ambush and
hear. These words themselves are indicative of no other possibility but
that the entry of the Jinns and the satans had continued to be banned in
the heavens - but, they would reach the outer atmosphere of the skies
and hear a little by stealth. It was after the advent of the Prophet of Is-
lam, peace and blessings be on him, that an additional arrangement was
activated when the satans were stopped even from this covert eavesdrop-
ping through meteors or shooting stars (Al-Shihab Al-Thaqib) which
zoom in upon them from the outer space with enormous speed.
Now the question, as to how could the satans hear the conversation

304
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 17 - 18
of angels taking place inside the heavens while they were out of it, is not
something just impossible. It is quite probable that the heavenly bodies
not be prohibitive of the audition of sounds, and it is also not far out that
the angels sometimes come lower down the heavens and engage them-
selves in some conversation hearing which the satans used to run. A
Hadith of Sayyidah 'A'ishah Que AU +, appearing in the Şahin of Al-Buk-
hari confirms this very probability. She said that the angels sometimes
come down as far as where the clouds are and talk about the heavenly
happenings among themselves. It was in this atmospheric zone of the
skies that the satans used to hide themselves in to hear this news. This
furtive effort of theirs was stopped through Al-Shihab Al-Thaqib, the
shooting stars. Detailed comments on this subject will, Inshallah, appear
اَنَّا كُنَّا نَقُعُدُ مِنْهَا مَقَاعِدَ لِلسَّمِعُ :in Surah Al-Jinn under our exegesis of the verse
(72:9).
Now, the second question we have here is that of Al-Shihab
Al-Thaqib, meteors or shooting stars, in these verses. According to the
statements of the Holy Qur'an, it appears that these 'shihabs' or flames
are formed to hit the satans in order that the revelation remains pro-
tected. In other words, the satans are driven away through them so that
they would not overhear angels.
The difficult part of the question relates to the fact that the presence
of shooting stars in outer space is nothing new. Falling stars were seen
even before the coming of the Holy Prophet
- and this phenomena
continues later than that as well. If so, how can it be said that the
shooting stars show up to drive the satans away, which is the particular
feature of the age of the Holy Prophet
? Obviously, this seems to
support the view of the scientists who say that meteors become so hot
from rushing through the air that they glow and often burn up which
gives onlookers the impression that a star has fallen. Therefore, in
usage, this is identified as a falling star. The Arabic language itself has
an expression: انقضاض الكوكب (ingidad al-kaukab) which is a virtual
synonym, of the falling of a star.
However, the answer is that there is no contradiction here. One or
more scientific explanations for this phenomena could be possible, for ex-
ample, vapours rising from the earth surface may heat up at some point,
or the speed of the meteors makes them glow and burn, or a flame emits

305
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 19 - 25
from a star - and this may have habitually continued since ever. But, be-
fore the coming of the Holy Prophet g, these flames were not employed
to serve a particular purpose. However, after his coming, meteoric
flames were employed to serve the purpose of shooting the satans who
would come up to stealthily hear the conversation of angels.
This is how 'Allamah Al-'Alusi has interpreted it in Ruh al-Ma'ani.
There he reports that someone asked Imam Zuhri, the Hadith authority,
that stars used to fall even before the coming of the Holy Prophet 3. He
said: "Yes." Thereupon, this person confronted him by quoting the verse
cited above. Then he said: "The shooting stars, no doubt, did exist before
- but, after the coming of the Holy Prophet
when the satans were
dealt with sternly, these were employed to drive them away."
In a Hadith of the Sahih of Muslim, there is a narration from Sayyid-
na Ibn 'Abbas 4ee which reports the saying of the Holy Prophet % him-
self on this subject. According to this report, he was sitting with a group
of his Sahabah when they saw a star falling. He asked them: What did
you take the falling of a star to be during the days of Jahiliyyah, that is,
before Islam? They said: We took it to be a sign of some major upheaval
in the world, or that a prominent man would die, or be born. He said:
This is absurd. It has nothing to do with someone's death or birth. As for
these flames, they are thrown to dispel the satans.
To sum up, it can be said that the view of scientists about the
shooting stars is also not contrary to the Qur'an, and it is also not too far
out to state that these flames were made to fall directly from some stars.
Whichever way it is taken, the purpose of the Qur'an stands proved
clearly.
Verses 19 - 25
وَالْأَرْضَ مَدَدُنْهَا وَاَلْقَيْنَا فِيُهَا رَوَاسِىَ وَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيُهَا مِنُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ
مَّوُزُوُن ﴿١٩﴾ وَجَعَلْنَا لَكُمُ فِيُهَا مَعَايِشَ وَمَنْ لَسْتُمُ لَهَ بِرُزِقِيْنَ ﴿٢﴾
وَإِنُ مِّنُ شَىْءٍ إِلَّ عِنْدَنَا خَزَائِنُه،( وَمَا نُنَزِلُهُ إِلاَّ بِقَدَرٍ مَّعُلُوُمٍ ﴿٢١﴾
وَأَرْسَلْنَا الْرِّيْحَ لَوَاقِحَ فَانْزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءٍ فَاسْقَيِّنْكُمُوُهُ ◌ٌ وَمَآ أَنْتُمُ

306
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 19 -25
لَهُ بِخْزِنِينَ ﴿٢٢﴾ وَنَّا لَنَحُنُ نُحَى وَنُمِيْتُ وَنَحْنُ الْوَرِثُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾
وَلَقَدُ عَلِمُنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِيْنَ مِنْكُمْ وَلَقَدُ عَلِمُنَا الْمُسْتَأْخِرِيْنَ ﴿٢٤﴾ وَإِنَّ
رَبَّكَ هُوَيَحُشُرُهُمُ ﴿ إِنَّهُ حَكِيْمٌ عَلِيمٌ (٢٥)
And We have spread out the earth and placed therein
mountains, and caused to grow therein everything in
balance, [19] and created therein sustenance for you,
and those for whom you are not the sustainers. [20]
There is nothing but We have treasures of it. And We do
not send it down but in a determined quantity. [21]
And We sent forth winds, loaded then sent down water
from the sky and gave it to you to drink, and you are not
able to store it. [22]
And We, only We give life and bring death and We are
the ultimate inheritor (of everything). [23]
And We know those of you who went ahead, and We
know those who remained behind. [24] And surely, your
Lord will gather them together. Surely, He is All-Wise,
All-Knowing. [25]
Commentary
Divine Wisdom: Balanced Provision for Human Needs
One sense of the expression: مِنُ كُلّ شَىءٍ مَّوُزُوُن (everything in balance -
19) is what has been taken in the present translation of the text, that is,
it was in His infinite wisdom that He caused everything that grows to
grow in a determined measure, not less than that which would have
made life difficult, and not too much which would have also brought diffi-
culties of a different nature. If grains like wheat and rice and the best of
fruits around were to grow in such excess that stockpiles of them remain
behind even after their liberal consumption by human beings and ani-
mals, then, it is obvious that they would go bad, or their possible storage
(in ideal natural state) will be difficult under varying conditions, and if
they had to be dumped, then, not much space will be left for such mega
dumpings.
This tells us that it was also within the power of Allah Ta'ala that
He would have caused grains and fruits on which human life depends to
grow in such abundance that everyone would have them free everywhere

307
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 19 - 25
so much so that, despite their care-free use, stores upon stores of them
would have kept lying around. But, this situation could have turned into
a punishment for human beings, therefore, these were provided in a par-
ticular measure and balance so that their worth and value remains ac-
tively recognized, and that they are not left over only to go to waste ei-
ther.
And this expression : مِنُ كُلّ شَىْءٍ مَّوُزُون (everything in balance) could also
be taken in the sense that Allah Ta'ala has created everything that
grows in a suitable and proportionate manner which gives it beauty and
attraction. Trees are different, so are their trunks, branches, leaves, flow-
ers and fruits. Different are their sizes, shapes, colours and tastes. What
one readily sees is their happy balance and delightful looks. Everyone en-
joys having them around. But, a full comprehension of the wisdom which
has gone into their making is not possible for any human being.
Water Supply : The Unique Divine Arrangement
مَآ أَنْتُمْ لَه':And We send forth winds ... ) to) وَأَرُسَلْنَا الرّيَاحَ:In verse 22, from
Fijn (and you are not able to store it ), a hint has been given to this wise
arrangement through which a formidable system has been established to
provide water for all human beings, animals, cattle, birds and beasts
who live on this earth as and when they need it. Under this arrange-
ment, everyone gets water everywhere, under all conditions, as needed,
for drinking or bathing or washing or for irrigating farms and trees. This
is water at no cost. As for those who would spend to dig a well or put
water pipes to receive the supply of water, they only pay for the means
and facilities. No one can pay for even a drop of water, nor has anyone
been asked to pay for it.
Mentioned first in the verse was how Divine power has set in motion
its unique system of delivering water from the sea all over the earth by
creating vapours in the sea which generated the substance of rains (the
monsoons) and on top of it fanned the winds which would transform it
into clouds making them as if they were mountain-like planes laden
with water. Then, comes the task of having these giant planes carrying
their cargo of water reach every nook and corner of the world where it
must reach. And then this mission is accomplished directly under Divine
command whereby these gigantic autoplanes would rain down a specific
quantity of water over a specific area of the earth, as commanded.

308
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 19 - 25
In this manner, water from the sea is home-delivered to all inhabi-
tants of the earth, human beings, and animals, wherever they may be.
Then, this system takes care of seeing that an equally unique change is
made in the taste and properties of the water being delivered. We know
that Allah Ta'ala has, in His wisdom, made sea water so salty and brack-
ish that tons and tons of salt is extracted and used from it. The element
of wisdom behind it is that this great sea sphere which is home to mil-
lions and billions of life forms, and their burial place too where they die
and disintegrate. Then, foul water from all over the earth (despite much
publicized ecological concerns voiced by the polluters themselves) ulti-
mately gets delivered in it. Had this been sweet water, it would have
gone bad within a day, and its stench would have been so severe that it
would have become a health hazard for the dwellers on land. Therefore,
nature made it so acidly brackish that it would just burn up the filth
which keeps reaching it from all over the world. So, it was based on this
wise consideration that the sea water was made salty, rather brackish,
which cannot be drunk or used to quench thirst. Certainly great is the
Divine system which not only made water planes designed as clouds to
carry the priceless treasures of water, but did much more when it activat-
ed its own desalination without the help of huge mechanized plants used
for this purpose in our time. It only took the period of time from the ris-
ing of the monsoons until the rains fell down on the earth that salt from
sea water separated and sweet water was what we got. A reference to
this appears in Surah Al-Mursalat (77:27) where it is said: وَأَسْقَيُنْكُمُ مَّاءً فُرَاتًا It
means: We gave you water to drink which quenches thirst. The word:
off (furat) used here signifies thirst-quenching sweet water. In other
words, the sense is that Allah has made the salty water of the sea go
through His own desalination plant in the clouds and has arranged for
you to have sweet drinking water out of water which was brackish.
The same subject occurs in Surah Al-Waqi'ah (56:68-70) where it is
said:
آَفَرَءَ يُثُمُ الْمَآءَ الَّذِىُ تَشْرَبُوُنَ ءَآَ نْتُمُ أَنْزَلْتُمُوُهُ مِنَ الْمُزْنِ آَمْ نَحُنُ الْمُنْزِلُونَ - لَوْ نَشَآءُ
جَعَلَنْهُ أُجَاجًا فَلَوْ لاَتَشُكُرُوْنَ
You see the water you drink? Is it you who bring it down from
the cloud, or are We the senders? If We had willed, We would
have made it bitter. Why, then, would you not be grateful?

309
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 19 - 25
Upto this point, we have seen the spectacular manifestation of Di-
vine power as to how it has picked up water from the sea, changed it into
sweet water, and delivered it through clouds all over the world with such
effeciency of management that it reached not only the human beings of
every region but was also passed on to animals and wildlife which are
not within the range of human inquiry. Water was, so to say, home-de-
livered to them - and free of cost too, in fact, they had to have it.
But, this arrangement does not solve the problem faced by human be-
ings and animals because they need water every day, rather every mo-
ment. Therefore, one method of fulfilling their daily demand was to have
rains come every day, twelve months a year. But, under this arrange-
ment, their elemental need for water would have been taken care of to a
certain degree, however, the disturbance they would have faced in other
economic activities is not difficult to foresee, at least for those who have
the experience. Constant rain, every day of the year, would have affected
health and caused gridlocks in transportation, hazards in movement and
sluggishness in business.
Also possible was a second method that there be enough rain in par-
ticular months of the year so that the water from it becomes sufficient
for the rest of the months. But, this method would have required that
everyone be assigned a quota of water which may be entrusted to each
such person with the ground rule that they would keep the quota and
share of water thus received under their personal custody.
Now, just imagine. If this was done, how could every human being
have managed to assemble enough water containers of suitable sizes and
capacities in which water needed for a period of three to six months
could be stored? Even if, this could somehow be done, it goes without say-
ing that this water would have gone bad within a few days drinking
which, in fact, using which for some other purpose would have been out
of the question. Therefore, Divine power introduced yet another unique
system to preserve it and make it become available as and when and
where needed. We see that some portion of the water rained down is im-
mediately put to use when it helps farms and trees to bloom and human
beings and animals to quench their thirst. Part of it gets deposited and
preserved in open ponds and lakes. Then a greater portion of it is trans-
formed into ice - a frozen sea - which is so conveniently put atop moun-

310
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 19 - 25
tain peaks. Neither dust, nor filth can touch it. Had this water remained
in the liquid form, there would have been the danger of its being contami-
nated with dust or filth brought by the winds. May be birds and animals
would have fallen into it, and died, which would have spoiled this water.
But, what Divine power did was to take this treasure of water, turn it
into a virtual sea of ice, and put it on top of the mountains from where it
keeps seeping into the pores of the mountains and then becomes what
streams are and thus it reaches everywhere. Places where there are no
streams either, water keeps flowing under the earth surface like human
veins in every region of the world. Dig a well, it would come out.
To sum up, this Divine system of water supply holds thousands of
blessings in its fold. First of all, the creation of water is in itself a great
blessing. Then, making it reach all regions of the earth is the second
blessing. Then, making it potable is the third blessing. Then, giving
human beings the opportunity to drink it is the fourth blessing. Then,
the formidable system of collecting and preserving water according to its
need is the fifth blessing. And then, giving men and women of this world
the ability to benefit by it is the sixth blessing - because, despite water
being available, there may be unwelcome circumstances or natural and
man-made calamities due to which one may not remain capable enough
فَأَسُقَيْنُكُمُوُهُ وَمَآ أَنْتُمُ لَه" :to drink water. In the present verse of the Holy Qur'an
(and gave it to you to drink, and you are not able to store it - 22), a
clear hint has been given to these blessings, and also a warning (to those
who refuse to see truth as it is):
فَتَبَارَكَ اللّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِيْنَ
Blessed is Allah, the best of creators.
Going Ahead and Remaining Behind in Righteous Deeds : The
Difference in Degrees
Some exegetic interpretations of the words: Ji (al-mustaqdi-
min) : 'those who go ahead' and: 3-E Ji (al-musta'khirin) : 'those who
وَلَقَدُ عَلِمُنَا الْمُسْتَقْدِمِيْنَ مِنْكُمُ وَلَقَدُ عَلِمُنَا:24 remain behind' appearing in verse
RAJ have been variously reported from Tafsir authorities among the
Şahabah and Tabi'in. These are:
1. 'Al-Mustaqdimin' are those born to date, and 'Al-Musta'khirin' are
those not born yet [Qatadah and 'Ikrimah].

311
Surah Al-Hijr : 15 : 19 - 25
2. 'Al-Mustaqdimin' means the dead, and 'Al-Musta'khirin' means
those alive till now [Ibn 'Abbas and Dahhak]
3. 'Al-Mustaqdimin' signifies good people who came before the ap-
pearance of the Ummah of the Holy Prophet 3, and 'Al-Mustakhirin're-
fers to his Ummah itself [Mujahid].
4. 'Al-Mustaqdimin' denotes people who obey Allah and do good
deeds while 'Al-Musta'khirin' refers to people who disobey Him and ne-
glect what is good [Hasan and Qatadah]
5. 'Al-Mustaqdimin' are people who remain ahead in the rows of
Salah, or in the front lines of Jihad, and in other righteous deeds - and
'Al-Musta'khirin' are those who remain behind in these deeds of merit,
stay in the rear rows and are used to being late [which is the Tafsir given by
leading authorities Hasan al-Basri, Said ibn al-Musaiyyab, al-Qurtubi, al-Sha'bi and
others]
It is obvious that there is no distinct conflict or contradiction in these
sayings, in the real sense. They can be accomodated all in one because
the all-encompassing knowledge of Allah Ta'ala covers all kinds of peo-
ple 'who go ahead' or 'remain behind.'
In his Tafsir, Al-Qurtubi has said that this verse indicates the merit
of performing Salah in the first row, and soon after the time it becomes
due. This is in accordance with the Hadith where the Holy Prophet
has been reported to have said: If people were to find out the enormous
merit of calling the Adhan and standing in the first row of Salah, every-
one would have started making the effort to necessarily stand in the first
row, and when there would remain no space for everybody to stand
there, lots would have to be drawn.
With this, Al-Qurtubi has also reported the saying of Sayyidna Ka'b
: 'There are some people in this Ummah who, when they put their
forehead on the ground for their Sajdah, forgiveness is granted to all
those who are praying behind them.' Therefore, Sayyidna Kab de liked
to be in the last row in the hope that 'perhaps, there may be in the front
rows, some servant of Allah of the class, because of whose barakah (bliss-
ful presence), I may be forgiven.'
What is apparent here is that real merit does lie in praying in the