Indexed OCR Text

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the space, no basic human need is dependent on answering these
questions, neither in this world, nor in the Hereafter. Moreover, there are
many issues of this type which could not be resolved finally, despite all
the painstaking efforts undertaken by many researchers. Therefore, it is
not a necessary service to the Qur'an to indulge in such controversies
beyond the aforesaid purpose of the Holy Qur'an, that is, to ponder on
these wonders as signs of the divine omnipotence and to pay homage to
Him for their creation. The modern scientists have, no doubt, acquired
wonderful achievements in inventing satellites and space-crafts, in
travelling to the moon and bringing dust and stones from there, but it is a
pity that the realistic approach about the Creator of this universe,
suggested by the Holy Qur'an, was not only neglected by them, but being
proud of these discoveries, they became more distant from it and the
people became more confused about the Qur'anic expressions. There are
some people who take these discoveries as against the Qur'anic
expressions and therefore deny the facts proved by real observations, and
there are others who try to twist the Qur'anic expressions to suit the
modern theories. It is, therefore, deemed necessary to clarify the correct
situation about these issues in some detail. We had already promised in
our commentary to Surah Al-Hijr that we would discuss these issues in
detail under Surah Al-Furqan. Now, here is that discussion:
Old and modern theories about the location of the planets and
the Qur'anic expressions
Let us take the question about the location of the stars. The verse 61
above says, ◌ًجَعَلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ بُرُوُجا (made the stellar formations in the sky). Here
the words 'in the sky' apparently indicate that the planets are located in
the sky. Similarly the words in a verse of Surah Nuh are as follows:
أَلَمْ تَرَوْكَيُفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبُعَ سَمُوتٍ طِبَاقًا وَّجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيُهِنَّ نُورًا وَّجَعَلَ الشَّمُسَ
سِرَاجًا
Did you not realize how Allah has created seven skies, one over
the other, and has made moon in them a light. (71:15,16)
Here again the phrase 32 "in them" refers to skies which apparently
indicates that moon is placed in the sky. But these expressions should not
be taken as an absolute declaration that moon and other planets are
located and fixed physically in the sky. The reason is that the Arabic word

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"tu" (sama', translated as "sky" or 'heavens') is used for two different
meanings. It is sometime used for the great mass of the sky, and
sometimes for every thing which is above us in the direction of the sky,
including the atmosphere between earth and sky and the space. The Holy
Qur'an has used this word for both these meanings in different verses.
When it speaks of the sky as a huge mass having gates guarded by
angels which are opened at particular times, it takes the word for the first
meaning. But when it describes the rain coming down from the sky, it
takes the word 'sky' for the second sense. For example the Holy Qur'an
says,
وَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مَآءٌ طَهُوُرًا
And We have sent down purifying water from the heavens.
(25:48)
Obviously the word .L. (sama', translated as sky or heavens) in this
verse is used in the second sense, firstly because the common observation
(even in the days of the Holy Prophet
) has proved that the rain comes
from the clouds and not from the sky, and secondly because the Holy
Qur'an itself has mentioned at different places in express terms that the
rain comes from the clouds. For example, the following two verses are
self-speaking on this point:
ءَ أَنْتُمْ آَنْزَلْتُهُوُهُ مِنَ الْمُزْنِ آَمْ نَحْنُ الْمُنْزِلُونَ
Have you sent it (the rain) down from the clouds or are We who
sends it down. (56:69)
وَأَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْمُعْصِرَاتِ مَآءَ نَجَّاجًا
And We sent down abundant water from clouds full of rain.
(78:14)
In the light of these verses, the word et. (sky/heavens) used in verse
25:48 above is obviously used for the atmosphere above us.
Now, when the Qur'an has itself used the word 'sky' in both senses,
the verses describing the stars and planets 'in the sky' have equal
possibility of either of these two senses. They can be taken to mean that
the planets are placed in the mass of the sky, and they can equally be
taken to mean that they are in the space. In the presence of these two
possibilities no absolute declaration about this issue can be attributed to

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the Holy Qur'an. Whatever situation about this issue is proved by
observation or by research will not be against any express declaration of
the Qur'an.
Realities of the universe and Qur'an
It is vital that we clear our thinking on the subject matter of the Holy
Qur'an. It should be clearly understood that Qur'an is not a book of
philosophy or astronomy. It does not deal with the subject of realities of
the universe or the form, positioning and movements of its components
e.g. stars, planets etc. But at the same time it does mention repeatedly
about things on the earth and in the sky and in between them, and
invites to ponder over them to set one's beliefs right. On going through all
such verses one can make out clearly that the idea behind them is to set
right the beliefs of the people or to help them draw benefits for their
religious or mundane needs. For instance, Qur'an has repeatedly
mentioned about the earth and sky the stars and planets and their
movements and the effects of these movements for man to ponder over in
order to comprehend and understand that this spectacular phenomenon
has not come into being on its own but there is someone who has created
all that, and that someone is Almighty Allah Ta'ala. For the ordinary man
it is not necessary to acquire knowledge of astronomy and related sciences
but instead it is sufficient for him to observe the alternation of day and
night, their shortening and lengthening of duration, the change in the tilt
of sun bringing different seasons, the rising and waning of the moon, the
eclipses of the moon and the sun, which every individual see happening.
A common man sees them happening with perfect precision and knows
that it is going on without the slightest alteration for centuries. Then he
can draw the conclusion that there is some Power who has created it, and
is running and holding it. That "someone" or that "Power" is none else but
Allah Ta'ala. To arrive at this conclusion one neither has to acquire any
special philosophical knowledge or any research data nor the Qur'an has
asked to do so. All that Qur'an has asked in this regard is to pay attention
to these phenomena which one can see by simple observation. Also the
Holy Prophet
and his companions did not make any arrangement to
study astronomical or cosmic theories or to collect data and information on
the shape and form of celestial bodies. Had these verses on astronomical
and cosmic realities been conveying the message to strive to find out such

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realities, then the Holy Prophet
would have definitely made an effort
in this direction, especially in a situation when facilities were available in
his time for acquiring such knowledge. People in Egypt, Syria, India and
China had already worked on these subjects and had acquired some
knowledge. Five hundred years before Christ (B.C) Pythagorean theory
was propounded and established, and later in 139 A.D. Ptolemy also
propounded his well known theory. Cut the most revered person on whom
these verses were revealed and the companions who learned them directly
from him never made any attempt in that direction. Therefore it is
abundantly clear that the Qur'anic verses inviting people to ponder over
the cosmological signs did never intend that the space travel and the
efforts to conquer the moon and other planets are the basic objectives of
the Qur'an, as is suggested by some contemporary modernists under the
influence of the West and its discoveries.
The fact of the matter is that the Holy Qur'an neither invites people's
attention towards any old or new philosophical thesis or scientific research
nor does it deal with them, nor does it reject them. The plain and simple
manner in which the Holy Qur'an deals with the subjects concerning
universe and His creation is to confine their mention only to the extent
they are related to the man's religious or worldly needs, and what man
can comprehend and learn easily. On the other hand Qur'an does not
involve itself in complicated philosophical discussions and researches
which are beyond the comprehension of common man and which
sometimes create more confusion in the minds of people for their ever
changing nature because of the unending discoveries and inventions
being made with the passage of time. In effect Qur'an guides the
humanity toward its ultimate goal which is to seek and follow the
righteous path to comply with the Will of Allah Ta'ala in order to win over
His grace in the everlasting abode in the Hereafter. It is neither required
nor is it possible for every one to indulge in the discussion of the realities
of the universe for the theories of one period become obsolete in the next
period by the new discoveries and inventions. Hence no theory or thesis
could be regarded as final. The Holy Qur'an however does make allusions
at certain places toward some realities covering subjects like astronomy,
space, atmosphere, meteorology, oceanography, geology etc. but to the
extent it is needed for human life here or in the Hereafter. Similarly, the

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Qur'an makes references about His creatures on earth related with
botany, zoology, petrology and social sciences including trade, agriculture,
industry etc., but again to the extent it is required to guide the man to
fulfill his religious and worldly duties. Qur'an does not drag mankind
toward unnecessary and futile discussions for making things complicated.
However, it is only at some places in the Holy Qur'an that it mentions a
particular issue of this nature expressly or gives a hint towards it.
Criteria of acceptance or rejection of scientific and philosophical
theories in the commentary of the Holy Qur'an
The classical and modern religious scholars are unanimous on the
point that if a statement is lucid and unambiguous in the Qur'an but it
contradicts with any old or new theory, it is not permissible to try to twist
the Qur'anic version to try to bring in it line with the modern theories. In
such a situation the related theory would be regarded as based on some
misconception. However, in the matters in which Qur'an does not give
any express statement and where more than one interpretations are
possible from the wordings of the Qur'an, then in that situation the
interpretation closer to observations and evidence would be regarded as
جَعَلَ فِى السَّمَآءِ correct. For instance, we can take the case of this very verse
3" (Stellar formations in the sky - 25:61) where it is not specified whether
the stars are placed in the space or stuck in the sky. Now in the present
time when it is proved by observations that stars are orbiting in the space
and are not stuck in the sky, then the Pythagorean theory has been
proved correct, because according to the express statements of the Qur'an
and ahadith, sky has gates guarded by the angels and no one can enter
into it. (Had the planets been fixed in the sky, the modern researchers
would have not been able to reach them). Based on this observation the
verses referring to the stars 'in the sky' will be construed to mean that
these stars are in the space. And this will not be tantamount to twisting
the Qur'anic statement, but only the adoption of one of the two possible
interpretations. However, if it is claimed that the skies do not exist or that
they can be pierced through by the rockets, then it will be in contradiction
to Qur'anic wordings and cannot be accepted because Qur'an has clearly
stated in several verses that sky is such an enclosure where there are
gates guarded by the angles, and every one cannot enter there.
Similarly, the verse ◌َكُلُّ فِىُ فَلَكٍ يَسُبَحُون (Each floating in an orbit)

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ascertains the floating of stars in their orbits. Hence, Ptolemaic theory
(propounded in 139 A.D) suggesting that the stars are embedded in the
body of the sky and have no movement of their own, rather they move
with the movement of the sky, is no more valid after the Qur'anic
declaration that stars are orbiting.
Some earlier commentators who believed in the Ptolemaic theory
which was in conflict with the Qur'anic version on astronomy had tried to
stretch and twist the meanings of the Quranic words to bring it in line
with the Ptolemaic theory. Similarly, in present and recent times when
some authors presume that some Qur'anic verses are at variance with
some astronomical theories, they attempt to harmonize them with modern
theories by twisting their meanings. Both these attitudes are incorrect
and against the classical methodology of the righteous elders. It is,
however, a fact that no theory from those advanced by astronomers is in
contradiction to the Qur'an, except the theory of denial of the skies.
Sayyid Mahmud Alusi Baghdadi who is the greatest commentator and
scholar of recent time because of his vast knowledge and understanding
of not only the Qur'an and Sunnah but also of philosophy and
astronomical sciences has condensed the work of all classical
commentators in his famous and widely acclaimed commentary - Ruh
ul-Ma'ani. He has adopted the same principle, which is described above.
His grandson Allamah Sayyid Mahmud Shukri Alusi has written a book
on the subject in which he has endorsed modern astronomical theories in
the light of Qur'anic declarations without twisting their meanings. The
relevant passage from his book is quoted below:
رأيت كثيرا من قواعدها لا يعارض النّصوص الواردة فى الكتاب والسنّة، على انها
لو خالفت شيئا من ذلك لم يلتفت اليها ولم نؤول النصوص لاجلها، والتاويل
فيها ليس من مذاهب السلف الحريّة بالقبول، بل لابدّ ان نقول ان المخالف لها
مشتمل على خلل فيه، فان العقل الصريح لايخالف النقل الصحيح، بل كل منهما
يصدق الأخر ويؤيّده (مادل عليه القرآن)
"I have checked many principles of the modern astronomy. They
are not in conflict with the Qur'anic text or Sunnah. But in case
they differ with Qur'an and Sunnah then we shall discard them
and would not twist the (meaning of) Qur'an and Sunnah
because such twisting would be against the practice of the

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elders. In such situations we would argue that any theory
which is in conflict with the Qur'an or Sunnah is imperfect,
because the sound reason can never be against an authentic
text (of Qur'an or Sunnah) rather they are complimentary to
each other."
In brief it can be said that the subject of stars and planets, their form
and movements and related astronomical theories have been discussed
and researched for a long time, even before the birth of Sayyidna 'Isa
del in various countries like Egypt, Syria, India, China and Greece.
Among them Pythagoras and Ptolemy are still well known.
Obviously, astronomy is not a new branch of knowledge. It has been
the subject of human research since thousands of years. Egypt, Syria,
India and China were the centres of astronomical research in the ancient
ages. Pythagoras, the famous astronomer, used to teach astronomy in
Italy five hundred years before Sayyidna 'Isa &Call. Then, in 140 BC,
Ptolemy ruled the field who developed a cosmological theory that was in
total contradiction the theory of Pythagoras, but it found currency with
the cooperation of the government, so much so that the theory of
Pythagoras was pushed back to a situation where it was ignored almost
totally. When the Greek sciences were translated into Arabic, it was the
theory of Ptolemy that rules the field, and was rendered into Arabic and
became popular in Arabic books. Many commentators of the Qur'an
discussed the subject in the light of Ptolemaic theory.
It was in the fifteenth century A.D. (corresponding to the eleventh
century A.H.) that the European scholars started their research on the
subject. The pioneering work in the field was done by Copernicus,
followed by Keiler of Germany and Galileo of Italy. All these astronomers
falsified the theory of Ptolemy and endorsed the theory of Pythagoras. In
eighteenth century A.D. the discoveries of Issac Newton further confirmed
the theory of Pythagoras. He propounded the theory of gravity and
proved through experiments that all the planets, including earth, have
gravity which makes things fall onto them from above, but the range of
gravity varies from planet to planet. If something is able to cross the
range of gravity of the earth, it will never fall to the ground.
This theory was proved by empirical evidence when Russian and
American scientists, who benefitted from some researches of Al-Bairuni,

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the well-known Muslim scientist, succeeded in sending rockets and
satellites to the space which, after breaking the gravity range of the
earth, started rotating around their orbit. This success prompted the
scientists to travel to the planets through space, and ultimately some of
them reached the moon, a fact which was admitted by all the experts and
was not challenged, even by their opponents. It is from that time that the
efforts to reach other planets and to undertake other missions to the space
are going on upto the date.
It is interesting to note that John Glenn, the first American astronaut
had written article after his successful return from the space in which he
had admitted not only the existence of God, but also His omnipotence that
controls the whole universe. He had also admitted that all our scientific
accomplishments are almost worthless as compared to the natural process
going on in the space which cannot be weighed by any type of measures.
He had concluded the article with the admission that everything in this
universe cannot be perceived or felt by human senses. There are many
religious realities which are beyond the access of our senses, but we
certainly know, through their visible effects, that they exist, and this
leads us to believe that this universe is controlled by an omnipotent
power. This article was published in those days in many periodicals,
including Readers Digest.
This article shows that the end-result of all these effects was to admit
that the mysteries of the universe are not still discovered and that all
these planets are controlled by a Supreme, but incorporeal Power. And
this is the reality that was declared by the prophets of Allah at the very
first step, and this is the very conclusion for which the Holy Qur'an has
invited us to reflect on the creation of sky, earth, stars and planets etc.
Another point worth consideration is that these modern discoveries
that cost trillions of dollars, despite their marvelous and admirable
courage have not been able to solve the burning problems of humanity
suffering from hunger, disease and unrest. The dust and stones brought
from the moon at such a huge cost were of little benefit to those who face
death on daily basis because of hunger or those who do not have clothes
to wear or a home to live. The real benefit of such discoveries, that is, to
believe in Allah and be grateful to Him, did not need such extra-ordinary
efforts. These benefits can be drawn even by a rustic through simple

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observations of these objects, and this is exactly what the Holy Qur'an
has stressed upon.
The gist of the matter is that the study of cosmology for making it a
source of guidance towards Allah's omnipotence, His all-encompassing
wisdom and His being the sole Creator and having no partner is the
objective of the Qur'an towards which the Holy Book has invited us in
many places. Secondly, study of these sciences to the extent that they are
used for solving the real problems of life is also included in Qur'anic
objectives, but with the difference that the worldly affairs are not taken to
be the be-all and the end-all one's activities, but the worldly life is held to
be a transitory stage to be looked after to the extent of real needs. The
third objective for the study of cosmology which aims at solving merely
theoretical issues having no nexus with the first two objectives is a futile
exercise not encouraged by the Qur'an.
It is, therefore, clear that all the modern researches and discoveries
cannot be held to be the exact objective of the Qur'an, as suggested by
modern scholars. Similarly, these discoveries cannot be held to be
repugnant to the Holy Qur'an, as observed by some conservative scholars.
The fact is that these issues are not the subject matter of the Qur'an
which is silent about them. If a reality is proved by experiments or
observations, it cannot be taken as contradictory to the Qur'an, and that
which is not yet proved no effort should be made to impose it on the
Qur'an through fanciful interpretations.
'Ibad-ur-Rahman
عِبَادُ الرَّحْمنِ
Verses 63 - 77
وَعِبَادُ الرَّحُمْنِ الَّذِيْنَ يَمُشُوْنَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًّا وَّإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ
الْجِهِلُوْنَ قَالُوا سَلْمًا ﴿٦٣﴾ وَالَّذِيْنَ يَبِيْتُوْنَ لِرَبِّهِمُ سُجَّدًا وَقِيَامًا
﴿٦٤﴾ وَالَّذِيْنَ يَقُوْلُوْنَ رَبَّنَا اصُرِفُ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ وَ إِنَّ عَذَابَهَا
كَانَ غَرَامًا ﴿١٢٥﴾ إِنَّهَا سَآءَتُ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَّمُقَامًا ﴿٦٦﴾ وَالَّذِيْنَ إِذَا

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أَنْفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذلِكَ قَوَامًا ﴿٦٧﴾ وَ الَّذِيْنَ
لاَيَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلاَيَقْتُلُوْنَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِىُ حَرَّمَ اللهُ إِلاَّ
بِالْحَقِّ وَلاَ يَزُنُونَ " وَمَنْ يَّفْعَلُ ذلِكَ يَلْقَ آَثَامًا ﴿١٨﴾ يُضْعَفُ لَهُ
الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيْمَةِ وَيَخْلُدُ فِيْهُ مُهَانًا ﴿٦٩﴿ إِلاَّ مَنْ تَابَ وَ أَمَنَ
وَعَمِلَ عَمَلاً صَالِحًا فَأُولَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللهُ سَّاتِهِمْ حَسَنْتٍ * وَكَانَ
اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا ﴿٧٠﴾ وَمَنْ تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَإِنَّْ يَتُوُبُ إِلَى
اللَّهِ مَتَابًا ﴿٧١﴾ وَالَّذِيْنَ لاَ يَشْهَدُوْنَ الزُّوْرَ " وَإِذَا مَرُّوْا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا
كِرَامًا ﴿٢﴾ وَالَّذِيْنَ إِذَا ذُكِرُوْا بِأَيْتِ رَبِّهِمُ لَمْ يَخِرُّوا عَلَيْهَا صُمَّا
وَّعُمْيَانًا ﴿٧٣﴾ وَالَّذِيْنَ يَقُوُلُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبُ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيْتِنَا
قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَّاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِيْنَ إِمَامًا ﴿٧٤﴾ أُولَئِكَ يُجْزَوْنَ الْغُرْفَةَ بِمَا
صَبَرُوْا وَيُلَقَّوُنَ فِيْهَا تَحِيَّةٌ وَّسَلْمًا ﴿١﴾ خُلِدِيْنَ فِيْهَاءُ حَسُنَتْ
مُسْتَقَرًّا وَمُقَامًا ﴿٧٦﴾ قُلُ مَا يَعْبَؤُا بِكُمْ رَبِّى لَوْلَا دُعَاؤُكُمُ" فَقَدْ
كَذَّبْتُمُ فَسَوُفَ يَكُونُ لِزَامًا ﴿٧٧﴾
And the slaves of the Rahman are those who walk on
the earth humbly and when the ignorant people speak
to them, they reply peacefully, [63] and those who pass
the night prostrating and standing before their Lord,
[64] and those who say, "Our Lord, avert from us the
punishment of Jahannam; indeed, its punishment is a
persisting affliction. [65] Indeed, evil it is as an abode
and a place to dwell in [66] - and those who, when they
spend, are neither extravagant nor miserly, and it (i.e.
their spending) is moderate in between (the two
extremes) [67] - and those who do not invoke any other
god alongwith Allah, and do not kill a person whom
Allah has given sanctity, except rightfully, nor do they
fornicate; and whoever does it, shall face the
recompense of his sin, [68] the punishment will be
doubled for him and he will remain there disdained, for

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ever, [69] except the one who repents and believes and
does good deeds, then Allah will change the bad deeds of
such people into good ones, and Allah is Most-Forgiving,
Very-Merciful. [70] And whoever repents and does
righteous deeds turns to Allah truly [71] - and those who
do not witness falsehood, and when they pass by the
absurd things, Pass by with dignity [72] and those who,
when they are reminded of the verses of their Lord, do
not fall at them as deaf and blind ones [73] - and those
who say, "Our Lord, Give us, from our spouses and our
children, coolness of eyes and make us heads of the
God-fearing. [74] Such people will be rewarded with the
high place - because they observed patience - and will
be received therein with prayers of their eternal life
and peace, [75] living in it (the Paradise) for ever. It is
best as an abode and as a place to dwell in. [76]
Say (O Prophet), "My Lord will never care about you, if
you will not invoke Him. Now since you belied (the
truth), the punishment will be inseparable from you.
[77]
Commentary
Upto this point Surah Al-Furqan has mostly discussed the proofs of
the prophethood of the Holy Prophet
¿ and answered various objections
raised in this regard by disbelievers and pagans. While dealing with this
subject Allah's wrath and punishment on those who deny His injunctions
was also mentioned. Now, at the end of the Surah it refers to those special
servants of His who firmly believe in the Holy Prophet's
prophethood
and their beliefs, deeds and dealings are all in conformity with the will of
Allah and His messenger and who follow the Shari'ah.
The Holy Qur'an has awarded the title of 'Ibad-ur-Rahman to such
special servants of Allah Ta'ala, which is indeed the highest honour.
Although all creatures are governed by His will compulsorily, but here the
voluntary worship by free will is alluded. That is to surrender completely
before Allah and to make all deeds and desires conforming to His pleasure
with one's own choice. In these last verses of the Surah the special
servants of Allah are described whom He has Himself called as His
servants to grant them unique honour. Their traits and characteristics are
mentioned in the last verses until the end of the Surah. In between this

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description repentance from infidelity and sins and its effects are also
referred to.
By calling these pious persons as His own slaves, Allah Ta'ala has
given to them a great title of honour. But by selecting the name Rahman
(the All-Merciful) for Himself, out of all His Beautiful Names and
attributes, the hint is perhaps given to the fact that these pious people,
being the slaves of the All-Merciful, should reflect and demonstrate the
quality of mercifulness through their general behavior.
Special traits of Allah Ta'ala's favoured servants
In the verses under review thirteen traits and habits of the special
and favoured servants of Allah Ta'ala are mentioned. Included among
them are correct beliefs, righteous acts, both physical and financial, to
obey the command of Allah and His messenger, social dealings with other
persons, Allah's fear in His worship, refraining from all sorts of sins and
carrying along wife and children on the righteous path with oneself.
The first characteristic of such people is that they are "slaves" (sus)
which is the plural of the word Je (slave) . Here it means the slave who is
the property of his Master. All his deeds and prerogatives together with
his very life are dedicated to follow the command and will of the Master.
Only such a person can claim to be Allah's slave whose views and
beliefs, thinking and desires, and deeds and actions are totally in line
with the command and pleasure of his Rab (Master) and who keeps
himself alert to carry out each and every command as soon as he is
required to.
The second characteristic
that is "they walk on the earth humbly". Here (25:63) يَمْشُوْنَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا
the word off (hawn) is used in the sense of humbleness, modesty and
decorum - that is one does not walk with pride or arrogance. It does not
mean that one should walk very slowly, because it is against Sunnah if it
is without any need. According to the description given in the books of his
biography, the Holy Prophet
used not to walk slowly. Instead his walk
was on quicker side. It is recorded in a Hadith كانّما الارض تطوى له that is "He
used to walk in a manner as if ground was shrinking for him". (Ibn
Kathir) It is for this reason that the righteous elders have described the
slow walk, like that of a sick person, as a symbol of arrogance, a sham

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habit, and something unwanted (.,). Sayyidna 'Umar
once saw a
young man walking very slowly. He .
asked him" Are you sick". He
replied "No". Then Sayyidna 'Umar 4 raised his stick on him and
commanded "Always walk robustly". (Ibn Kathir)
يَمُشُونَ has said while explaining this verse رحمه الله تعالى Hasan Al-Basri
that the organs of sincere believers are always humble (25:63) عَلَى الأَرُضِ هَوْنًا
before Allah, so much so that the one who is not familiar with them feels
that they are sick or disabled, while they are fit and healthy. As a matter
of fact it is the awe of God which has overtaken them and which has not
struck the others. It is the fright of Hereafter which has refrained them
from unnecessary mundane practices. Those who do not have faith in God
and keep themselves engrossed in worldly affairs suffer only with
disappointment (because they do not get the desired result in this world,
and lose their share in the Hereafter as well). And those who regard
sustenance as the only reward from Allah Ta'ala and neglect practising
morality have indeed very little understanding and for them there is
great punishment. (Ibn Kathir)
The third characteristic:
,And when the ignorant people speak to them) وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَمًا
they reply peacefully - 25:63): It should be kept in mind that the word
"ignorant" in this verse refers to a person who acts like an ignorant
person, notwithstanding that he might be a knowledgeable person. Also,
the word . (peace) is not used here in its customary sense of greeting,
but for any word causing peace. What is meant here is that in response to
ignorance they keep composed and answer with calmness so that others
are not offended and they do not commit a sin. The same explanation is
put forward by Sayyidna Mujahid and Muqatil etc. The intended
meaning is that they do not avenge from those who talk to them like
ignorant people.
The Fourth Characteristic
and those who pass the night prostrating and) وَالَّذِيْنَ يَبِيْتُونَ لِرَبِّهِمُ سُجِّدًا وَقِيَامًا
standing before their Lord, - 25:64). Special mention of night worship is
made here firstly, because this time being a time of rest, requires extra
effort, and secondly because it rules out the possibility of showing one's
worship to others. The idea is to express that they spend their day and
night in submission before Allah during the day by teaching and

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spreading religious tenets and struggling in the way of Allah and at night
by praying before Him. The sayings of the Holy Prophet;
have extolled
the night prayers (6). Tirmidhi has reported on the authority of
Sayyidnā Abu 'Umamah 4
that the Holy Prophet
said, "Remain
steadfast to your night prayers as this has been the practice of all
righteous people before your time, and this will bring you closer to Allah
Ta'ala and will expiate the evils and keep you away from sins". (Mazhari)
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
has said that one who has offered two or
more Rak'ats after 'Isha' prayers is also covered by the verse. (Mazhari from
Bayhaqi) and Sayyidna 'Uthman 4
is reported to have observed that the
Holy Prophet
¿ has said that one who has offered his 'Isha' prayer with
congregation would be regarded as having worshipped half the night and
the one who has offered Fajr prayer with congregation would be regarded
as having offered the other half of the night in prayers. (Ahmed and Muslim
from Mazhari)
The Fifth Characteristic
and those who say, "Our Lord, avert) وَالَّذِيْنَ يَقُوْلُوُنَ رَبَّنَا اصُرِفُ عَنَّا عَذَابَ جَهَنَّمَ
from us the punishment of Jahannam - 25:65). It means that despite their
constant prayers day and night, these favoured ones do not sit content,
but are always fearful of God and keep in mind the Day of Judgement. To
that end they keep alive the righteous deeds as well as supplications
before Allah.
The Sixth Characteristic
and those who, when they spend, are) وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنْفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوَا وَلَمُ يَقْتُرُوا
neither extravagant nor miserly - 25:67). That is Allah's blessed servants
are neither spendthrifts nor misers but they spend moderately. The words
Jig) (israf, i.e. extravagance) and Ju) (iqtar, i.e. miserliness) are used in
the verse for the two opposite traits. Israf means to cross the limits.
According to Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
, Mujahid, Qatadah and Ibn Juraij
Jw Ul, any spending on something sinful, however little it may be, is
israf, while others say that even overspending in the rightful and allowed
things which is wasteful would fall under the definition of israf. It is
because any wasteful spending is by itself a sin and hence israf. Allah
Ta'ala has said ◌ِإِنَّ الْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوا إِخْوَانَ الشَّيْطِيْن (Surely squanderers are brothers
of Satan - 17:27). In this way the latter explanation is also covered in the
explanation given by Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
that is any spending on

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some sinful thing is إِسْرَاف . (Mazhari)
JEi) (iqtar) means to spend with miserliness. In Islamic jurisprudence it
means to be tight fisted where a believer is directed to spend. In case one
does not spend at all at a place where he has been directed to spend, then
.that is the worst situation. This explanation is also given by Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas 4% , Qatadah etc. (Mazhari) Therefore, the message of the verse is
that Allah's blessed servants are neither spendthrifts nor misers but in
the matter of spending they take the middle path.
There is a saying of the Holy Prophet
مِنْ فِقُهِ الرَّجُلِ قَصُدُهُ فِىٌ مَعِيُشَتِهِ
That is "It is the sagacity of man to adopt the middle path in
spending" In another Saying quoted by Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Mas ud
the Holy Prophet
¿said:
ما عال من اقتصد
That is "The person who sticks to the middle path and moderation in
spending will never become a destitute and poor". (Imam Ahmad - Ibn Kathir)
The Seventh Characteristic
And those who do not invoke any other god) وَالَّذِينَ لاَيَدْعُوُنَ مَعَ اللهِ إِلَهًا آخَرٌ
alongwith Allah - 25:68). The first six characteristics included the
principles of obedience and now the characteristics of disobedience are
described. Among these the very first one relates to belief, that is these
blessed servants do not associate any one with Allah Ta'ala in His
worship. This point establishes that shirk (4'+) is the biggest sin of all.
The Eighth and Ninth characteristic
do not kill a person whom Allah has given) لاَ يَقْتُلُوُنَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِى حَرَّمَ اللهُ
sanctity - 25:68). This is the description of the major and grave sins
pertaining to one's deeds. It is mentioned that Allah's blessed servants do
not go even near them; neither they indulge in adultery nor do they kill
innocent people. After describing the beliefs and big sins of one's deeds
the verse says ◌ً25:68) وَمَنُ يَّفْعَلُ ذلِكَ يَلْقَ الَّاما) that is, whoever will involve
himself in the above mentioned sins will get punished accordingly. Abu
'Ubaidah has described the meaning of the word ti (atham) in this verse
as punishment of sin. But some other commentators have said that poi is

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the name of a valley in the Hell which is full of severe and rigorous
punishments, and they have quoted a few sayings in support of this
contention. (Mazhari)
The next verse mentions some details of the punishment to be faced
by the aforementioned sinners. In the context of these verses it is certain
that this chastisement will be exclusive to those who were infidels and
also indulged in adultery or homicide. In the first place the phrase
SuJi (The punishment will be doubled for him - 69) cannot be applied on
Muslim sinners because they are told both in the Qur'an and in the
Sunnah that they will get only one punishment against a sin. Any
increase in the intensity of chastisement will not be in the case of
believers. Doubling of chastisement will be exclusive to infidels i.e. the
first chastisement will be for infidelity and in case they have also
committed sins the chastisement will be doubled. Secondly, it is also
mentioned about this chastisement that it will be perpetual (Gut , ale; -
25:69) i.e. the punished will be placed there forever after being disgraced
and condemned. On the other hand no believer will be condemned for
ever in the Jahannam, no matter how big a sin he has committed.
Muslims will be taken out of the Jahannam when they have completed
their term there. In brief, those infidels who reject monotheism and also
commit adultery and homicide will be awarded doubled chastisement
which will increase in intensity and will last forever. In the next verse
there is a solace for the above type of sinners in that if they seek Allah's
forgiveness and act righteously, then Allah Ta'ala is expected to change
their sins into righteous deeds. In other words, once they have repented
on their past sins and accepted Islam, their past sins will be taken away
from their record and all that will be left in the record would be nothing
but righteous deeds. It is because Allah Ta'ala has promised that when an
infidel accepts Islam, all sins he might have committed during infidelity
are pardoned. Hence their previous record which was full of sins and evil
deeds will be forgiven and scraped, and will be replaced with a fresh
record of good and righteous deeds which they would perform after
submitting to Islam. This explanation of conversion of sins into virtues is
given by Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
, Hasan al-Basri, Said Ibn Jubair and
Mujahid رحهم الله تعالى (Mazhari).
Ibn Kathir has given another explanation for conversion of sins into

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virtues. He says that when they will remember all those sins which they
had committed during the period of their infidelity, they will repent and
seek Allah's forgiveness. This act of repentance will replace their sins into
virtues. In support of this explanation some traditions have also been
quoted.
And whoever repents and does) وَمَنُ تَابَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَإِنَّهُ يَتُوبُ إِلَى اللّهِ مَتَابًا
righteous deeds he turns to Allah truly - 25:71). On the face of it, it looks
repetition of the same subject as described in the preceding verse i.e. ¿ y!
But Qurtubi while quoting Qaffal has explained. تَابَ وَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلاً صَالِحًا
that this repentance is different and separate from the repentance
described in the previous verse. It is because the previous verse related to
deniers of monotheism and infidels who indulged in adultery and
homicide and then submitted to Islam. Hence their sins were converted
into virtues. But here the second verse speaks about the repentance of the
Muslim sinners. This may be explained by the fact that in the previous
verse the repentance was combined with the word (^ which means that
they accepted Islam whereas in the second verse the word 32 is not there,
which means that in the second verse the repentance is related to those
sinners who had already converted to Islam or that they were Muslims,
but by negligence indulged in adultery and homicide. Hence this verse
relates to those Muslims who commit sins, but then repent on their folly
sincerely and seek Allah's forgiveness and then keep themselves away
from sins and evil deeds. Such repentance by the Muslims will be
regarded in order and accepted. It should be understood here that the
word 4's (taubah) is used here in conditional clause as well as in principal
clause. In the conditional clause it means verbal repentance, and in the
principal clause it refers to the practical repentance in the sense of
correcting one's deeds. Hence it means that if someone repented on his
sins and proved his sincerity by not indulging in those sins again would
be regarded as on the right path towards Allah Ta'ala. As against this the
one who repented on his past sins but continued indulging in those sins,
is like the one who has not repented.
In brief if a Muslim indulged in a sin by negligence and then realized
that he has done wrong and repented and after that kept himself away
from the sin, his repentance will be accepted by Allah Ta'ala, and
hopefully he will get the same benefit as described in the first verse i.e.

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his sins will be converted into virtues.
Some rules of taubah (repentance) from sins had been mentioned
during the traits of Allah's favoured servants. The next verses are back to
the original subject.
The tenth characteristic
.(25:72 - And those who do not witness falsehood) وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَشْهَدُوُنَ الزُّوُرَ
That is they do not participate in the meetings where lie and falsehood
has currency. The biggest falsehood is the kufr (disbelief) and shirk, and
the next in order comes the common lie and acts of sin. In other words the
blessed and favoured servants of Allah avoid attending such meetings.
Sayyidnā Ibn 'Abbas 40 has said that these meetings or assemblies refer
to infidels festivals, carnivals and field days; while Sayyidna Mujahid and
Muhammad Ibn Hanifah are of the view that they relate to music
concerts. According to 'Amr Ibn Qais they refer to vulgar and cheap dance
parties Zuhri and Imam Malik term them as liquor drinking parties (Ibn
Kathir). In any case there is no contradiction in all these explanations
because all such gatherings come under the definition of assembly of
falsehood. The righteous people should avoid such gathering, as even an
intentional look at them is tantamount to participation in them. (Mazhari)
Some commentators have taken the sentence ◌َيَشْهَدُونَ الزُّور to mean that
they do not give false evidence, which is one of the possible meaning of
the word silah. (The English translation of the sentence given in the text
as "do not witness falsehood" has a slight indication to this interpretation
also). It is a well known fact that both Holy Qur'an and Sunnah declare
the false evidence as a great sin and an enormous evil. Bukhari and
Muslim have recorded Sayyidna 'Abbas 400 quoting that the Holy Prophet
said that false evidence is the gravest of the major sins.
Sayyidna 'Umar
said that if the offence of giving false evidence is
proved against someone, he should be flogged with forty stripes, and then
his face be painted black and taken round the market place, and after
that put in jail for a long time. (Mazhari)
The Eleventh Characteristic
and when they pass by the absurd things, Pass by) وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَامًا
with dignity - 72). That is if by chance they happen to pass by immoral
gatherings, they walk away with dignity and grace. In other words as

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they do not attend such gatherings intentionally, if they happen to pass
by them sometimes by chance they just walk away from there in a
dignified manner. That is despite their belief that their evil acts are
hateful, they do not take pride or regard themselves superior for not
indulging in them. Once Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Masud 4
e happened to
pass by an absurd and dissolute gathering, so he did not stop there but
simply walked away. When the Holy Prophet
learnt about this
incidence he remarked "Ibn Mas'ud has become ~$ (dignified)" and then
recited this verse wherein it is enjoined to walk away from dissolute
gatherings with dignity. (Ibn Kathir)
The Twelveth Characteristic
وَالَّذِيْنَ إِذَا ذُِّرُوْا بِيْتِ رَبِّهِمُ لَمُ يَخِرُوا عَلَيْهَا صُمَّا وَّعُمْيَانًا
And those who, when they are reminded of the verses of their
Lord, do not fall at them as deaf and blind ones - 25:73
That is when the blessed servants of Allah are reminded of His verses
and the Hereafter, they do not throw themselves upon them as if they
were blind and dumb, but pay heed to them like sober and sensible
persons, and act upon them. They do not behave like the ignorants or
negligent persons as if they have not seen or listened i.e. not understood
the message. Two things are mentioned in this verse. One, to fall at
Divine revelation i.e. to listen them with full attention. This is a virtuous
and commendable act. Second, to fall at the verses like deaf and dumb
people which means to listen to the message but without any purpose or
commitment and act in a manner that the real message has not been
registered, and even if they follow the Qur'anic message it is not in line
with the practices of the companions of the Prophet
or their followers.
Such people follow their own whims based on hearsay, which is as bad as
not following the Divine message.
Self-study of religious precepts is not enough but they need to be
acted upon in the light of interpretation given by classic scholars
As it is condemned in the verses under study that Divine message is
ignored. It is also pointed out with equal emphasis that it is listened and
acted upon without due diligence, that is without comprehending the
intent and spirit of the precept and according to one's own sweet will. Ibn
Kathir has reported on the authority of Ibn 'Aun that he inquired from

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Hadrat Sha'bi رحمه اللّه تعالى that if he comes across a people who are in the
state of sajdah (prostration), whether it is correct for him to join them in
sajdah. Sha'bi {Jws dl us, replied in the negative explaining that it would
not be correct for him to join in their prostration unless he finds out the
purpose of that act. It is not proper for a believer to join in any action
without knowing the purport of that act, rather he should seek to know
the purpose behind an act before taking it up for himself. When one has
not listened the verse of prostration, nor does he know the reason for their
prostration it is not allowed for him to go in prostration.
It is a matter of great satisfaction that there is a new tendency among
the younger generation and modern educated people to study the Qur'an
but to achieve this purpose they often deem it enough to study the Qur'an
and try to understand it through the translations of the Qur'an on their
own. This practice being against the correct principles of learning
something, often makes them fall into misconceptions. It is a well-settled
fact that education and knowledge cannot be imparted only through
books unless guidance of a teacher is available for explaining the
intricacies of the subject which normally go unnoticed by an ordinary
reader. It is rather strange why people feel that this basic rule does not
apply to Qur'an and its related subjects and try to indulge in interpreting
the Holy Book according to their own wishes. This type of study and
interpreting Qur'an on one's own without the help and guidance of a well
qualified teacher also falls under the purview of this verse i.e. "they do
not throw themselves upon as if they were blind and dumb". May Allah
lead us to the right path.
The Thirteenth Characteristic
وَالَّذِيْنَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَ هَبُ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِيْتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَّاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِيْنَ إِمَامًا
And those who say, "Our Lord, Give us, from our spouses and
our children, coolness of eyes and make us heads of the
God-fearing. (25:74)
This verse contains a prayer for one's spouses and children. According
to the explanation put forward by Hasan al-Basri ( dn , one can
draw solace from his dear ones (wife and children) if they submit to the
way of Allah. That is the true bliss for a man, and if the good health and
well being of the wife and children is also added to this, it is also in order.