Indexed OCR Text

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Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 1 - 8
'Utbah asked his people, "If you agree, I would like to talk to Muhammad
g and offer him some attractions, so that if he accepts them, we give
them to him and he, in exchange, would cease to propagate against our
religion and faith. This was a time when Sayyidna Hamzah 4
He had
become a Muslim, and the number of Muslims was increasing, and they
were getting stronger day by day. All of 'Utbah's men spoke with one
voice, and said "O 'Abul-Walid ('Utbah's filial name)! "Do so. Please talk to
him".
'Utbah got up from his place, and went upto the Holy Prophet g and
said, "O nephew! you know that you are high-born and a noble man of
the Quraysh; your family is large, noble and respectable to all of us. But
you have put the tribe in a great difficulty. You have given such an
invitational call which has created differences among us, has made us
fools, has stigmatized our deities and our religion, and declared our
forefathers to be infidels. So please listen to me. I am going to present a
few things to you, so that you may select any of them. The Holy Prophet
HE said, "O 'Abdul Walid! go ahead and say what you wish to say; I am
listening to you."
'Utbah 'Abul Walid said, "O nephew! If the purpose of your movement
is to collect possessions, we promise to collect so much wealth for you that
you would become the wealthiest person of the nation. If the purpose is to
become a leader and a ruler, then all of us would accept you as the leader
of the whole of Quraysh, and would not do anything without your order.
If you want kingdom, then we accept you as our king. And if the case is
that some Jinn or Satan comes to you, and compels you to do these things
and you are unable to drive him away, then we will have you treated at
our expense, because we know that a person prevailed upon by a Satan
can be cured by treatments." 'Utbah kept on speaking at some length and
the Holy Prophet
kept on listening to him.
At the end, the Holy Prophet % said, "O 'Abdul Walid! Have you
finished? When he said yes, then the Holy Prophet # said to him, "Now
please listen to me." And 'Utbah replied, "No doubt, I would listen to you."
The Holy Prophet 5, instead of saying anything himself started
reciting Surah Fuşşilat (the present Surah):

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Sūrah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 1 - 8
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ. لحمّ. تَنْزِيلٌ مِّنَ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ. كِتْبٌ فُصِّلَتْ أيتُهُ، قُرْآنًا
عَرَبِيًّا لِّقَوْمِ يَّعْلَّمُونَ.
"With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful."
Merciful. Ha Mim. This is a revelation from the All-Merciful,
the Very-Merciful -- a book whose verses are elaborated in the
form of an Arabic Qur'an for a people who understand."
Bazzar and Baghawi narrate that, during the recitation of the verses
of this Surah, when the Holy Prophet
reached this verse:
فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا فَقُلْ أَنْذَرْتُكُمُ صَاعِقَةً مِّثْلَ صَاعِقَةٍ عَادٍ وَّثَّمُوُدَ
"So, if they turn away, then say, " I have warned you of a
calamity like the calamity of 'Ad and Thamud,"(41:13)
'Utbah put his hand on the blessed mouth of Holy Prophet 5, and
asked him to have mercy on his lineage and relationship, and not to recite
any further for their sake. Ibn Ishaq narrates that when the Holy
Prophet g commenced the recitation of these verses, 'Utbah listened
quietly and attentively while supporting his back by his hands, till the
Holy Prophet
reached the verse of Sajdah in this Surah and
prostrated. Then he addressed 'Utbah, and said to him, "You have heard
what you heard, and now you are free to do what you like." 'Utbah got up
and started walking towards his party. When they saw him coming, his
party members started saying among themselves that, by God, 'Abul
Walid's face has changed - it is not the same as it was when he had gone.
When 'Utbah reached them, they asked him, "What is the news you have
come with?" He said to them:
إنى سمعت قولا والله ما سمعت مثله قط، والله ما هو بالسحر ولا بالشعر ولا
بالكهانة، يا معشر قريش اطيعوني واجعلُوها لى، خَلُوّا بين الرجل وبين ما هو فيه
فاعتزلوه فوالله ليكونن لقوله الذى سمعت نباء، فان تصبه العرب فقد كفيتموه
بغیر کم، وان یظهر على العرب فملکه ملککم و عزه عزّ کم و کنتم اسعد الناس به
"I heard such a discourse that, by God, I have never heard any
discourse like it before; by God, it is neither a sorcerer's
enchantment, nor a poet's poetry, nor a wizard incantation
(which they obtain from satans). O my tribe of Quraysh! Listen
to me, and let me handle this matter. My advice is that you
should give up confronting him, and let him go about his
business, because this discourse of his is bound to receive

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Sūrah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 1 - 8
eminence. You should wait and see how the rest of Arabia treats
them. If, besides Quraysh, the rest of Arabs defeat them, then
your problem is solved without any effort on you part, and if he
prevails on the rest of Arabs, then his rule will be your rule,
their honor will will be your honor, and you will be the luckiest
people because of him." (Ibn Kathir p. 91, vol. 4)
When his Qurayshi companions heard his speech, they said to him "O
Abul Walid! Muhammad
g has cast an enchanting spell upon you with
his words." 'Utbah replied to them, "I have given you my advice, and now
it is upto you to do what you like.
And they say, " Our hearts are [wrapped] in covers) - وَقَالُوا قُلُوُبُنَا فِىٌّ اكِنَّةٍ
against that to which you invite us -, 41:5) Here three statements of the
infidels of Quraysh are reproduced. Firstly, they said that there was a
cover on their hearts against his discourse, and therefore they do not
understand what he says. Secondly, that their ears are deaf to listen to
his speech. Thirdly, that there are barriers between him and them. The
Holy Qur'an has reproduced this statement of theirs in the context of
denouncing it, which indicates that these statements are wrong. But at
another place, Qur'an has also stated their condition to be the same. A
verse of Surah An'am states:
وَجَعَلْنَا عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمُ أَكِنَّةً أَنْ يَّفْقَهُوُهُ وَفِىِّ أَذَانِهِمُ وَقْرًّا
But We have put coverings on their hearts, so that they do not
understand, and heaviness in their ears. - 6:25.
One may doubt that there is a conflict between this verse and that of
Surah An'am in this respect. But the answer is that the infidels, by
saying the above, meant that they were helpless and excusable, because
their hearts were curtained, their ears were leaden and there were
barriers between them and him. So how could they listen to him and
accept what he said? This is how they proved themselves to be helpless.
And when the Holy Qur'an stated their condition (in Surah An'am) to be
the same, it did not consider them to be helpless, rather held them fully
capable of hearing and understanding. It is when they refused even to
hear, and had no intention of understanding, then as a punishment,
heedlessness and ignorance were imposed upon them, but not to the
degree that they were deprived of their volition; rather if they had
changed their minds even then, their abilities of hearing and

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Sūrah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 1 - 8
understanding would have been restored fully. (Bayan-ul-Qur'an)
Prophetic reply to the Denial and Ridicule of Disbelievers
The infidels saying that their hearts were covered and their ears were
leaden, etc., was not because they had become deaf and bereft of intellect;
rather it was a kind of ridicule and jest that they used to make. But the
reply to this offensive ridicule that the Holy Prophet was directed to
give was not to be offensive in the like manner, but to express his
humility that he 5 is not God, having authority over everything, rather
he &g is also a human being; the only difference is that his Lord has given
him
guidance through wahy, and has supported him with miracles. It
should have resulted in all of them declaring their faith in him. Even now
they are advised to turn in worship and obedience to Allah only and to
repent and renounce the past sins.
Toward the end of the address, Both the aspects of glad tidings and of
warnings of the Qur'an have been presented to them, making it clear that
there are dire consequences for the mushrikin (those who associate
partners with Allah) and eternal rewards for the believers. In the context
of the evil fate of the Mushriks, one reason for it has been mentioned that
these people did not use to pay Zakah. This gives rise to some questions.
The first one is that these verses were revealed in Makkah, whereas
Zakah was made obligatory in Madinah. So, how can they be accused of
non-payment of Zakah before Zakah was made obligatory?
Ibn Kathir, in reply to this question, has said that Zakah, in principle,
had been obligated alongwith Salah right from the beginning of Islam, as
mentioned in Surah Muzzammil. However the determination of the Nisab
(minimum capital and property for the applicability of Zakah) and the
arrangements for its collection were made in Madinah. Therefore it is not
correct to say that Zakah was not obligated in Makkah.
Are Non-Muslims required to follow the practical injunctions of
Shari'ah?
The second doubt is that many jurisprudents do not consider
Non-muslims to have been asked or required to carry out religious deeds
such as Salah, Fasting, Hajj and Zakah. The direction is that they have
to embrace the faith first, and then they are liable to the practical
precepts of Shari'ah. According to this view, they are not liable to pay

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Sūrah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 1 - 8
zakah. Why then have they been reprimanded for not paying Zakah in
this verse?
It can be said in reply that many of the leading scholars and experts
of Islamic jurisprudence are of the view that even the Non-Muslims are
required to carry out the obligatory duties of religion; If this view is
adopted, there remains no doubt about this verse that has mentioned
non-payment of zakah as one of the reasons for their being punished. As
for those scholars who do not consider Non-Muslims to have been asked to
carry out the obligatory duties, they can say that the real denunciation is
not for non-payment of Zakah, but because this non-payment is due to
their disbelief and is a sign of it. Therefore the object of the reprimand is
that had they been believers, they would have been strict in paying
Zakah; their fault is their failure to embrace the faith. (Bayan-ul-Qur'an).
The detailed discussion of whether or not the infidels have been asked
to follow the practical precepts of Shari'ah may be found in the fifth
volume of the author's Arabic book "Ahkam-ul-Qur'an".
The third question which arises here is that the commandment for
Salah is the most important of all the commandments of Islam which has
not been mentioned here, so what is the wisdom behind making a special
mention of Zakah? Qurtubi etc., have said in reply that Quraysh of
Arabia were wealthy people, and they were known for their trait of giving
alms and charity and helping the poor. But when somebody would
become a Muslim, they would deprive him of such financial help and
social assistance also. Zakah has been specially mentioned because the
object is to denounce this practice. (Allah knows best)
For them there is a reward that will never be) لَهُمْ أَجْرٌ غَيْرُ مَمُنُونٍ
interrupted ..... 41:8) The word mamnun used here means se nething
interrupted. The sense is that the reward of those people who are firm in
their faith and regular in their good deeds would be continuous and
eternal. Some exegetes have explained the intention of the verse that if a
Muslim, despite being regular in religious duties, could not perform them
at any time due to illness, travel or some other reason, the reward for the
good deeds is not cut off. Rather, Allah Almighty orders the angels to keep
on crediting those good deeds to his account which he used to carry out
regularly in normal conditions, but could not do them due to illness or

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Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 9 - 12
some other reason. Ahadith on this subject are narrated in Şahin of
Bukhari as reported by Sayyidna Abu Musa Ash'arī and in
Sharh-us-Sunnah of Baghawi by Sayyidna Ibn 'Umar de and by
Sayyidna Anas 48 and in Razin by Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud
(Mazharī)
Verses 9 - 12
قُلْ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُوْنَ بِالَّذِىُ خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِىُ يَوْمَيْنٍ وَتَجْعَلُوْنَ لَهُ"
أَنْدَادًا ﴿ ذلِكَ رَبُّ الْغَلَمِيْنَ ﴿٤﴾ وَجَعَلَ فِيْهَا رَوَاسِىَ مِنَ فَوْقِهَا
وَبَكَ فِيْهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيْهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا فِىِّ أَرْبَعَةِ آَيَّامٍ * سَوَآءً لِّلِسَّائِلِينَ ﴿١٠)
ثُمَّ اسْتَوَّى إِلَى السَّمَآءِ وَهِىَ دُخَانٌ فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلَأَرْضِ اثْنِيَا طَوْعًا
أَوْكَرُهًا ﴿ قَالَتَا آَتَّيْنَا طَآئِعِيْنَ ﴿١١﴾ فَقَضْبُهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمْوَاتٍ فِىُ
يَوْمَيْنٍ وَأَوْخِى فِىُ كُلِّ سَمَآءٍ أَمْرَهَا ، وَزَيَّنَّا السَّمَآءَ الدُّنْيَا
بِمَصَابِيحَ هُ وَحِفْظَاءُ ذلِكَ تَقْدِيْرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيْمِ ﴿١٢﴾
Say, Do you really disbelieve in the One who has
created the earth in two days, and ascribe to Him
partners? That is the Lord of the worlds. [9] He has
placed firm mountains in it (the earth) towering above
it, and put blessings in it, and proportioned its foods
therein, in four days, equal for those who ask. [10] Then
He turned straight to the sky, while it was a smoke, and
said to it and to the earth, " Come (to My obedience),
both of you, willingly or unwillingly." Both said, " We
come willingly." [11] So He accomplished them as seven
skies in two days, and settled in every sky its (due)
thing. And We have decorated the closest sky with
lamps, and protected it properly. All this is the
determination of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing. [12]
Commentary
The real objective of these eloquent verses is to warn the people who,
denying the Oneness of Allah, associate others with Him. With reference
to the great creations of Allah Almighty in the form of heavens and the
earth, and the wisdom underlying their creation, the Mushriks are

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Sūrah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 9 - 12
reprimanded that they are so irrational in their beliefs that they believe
such a Great and Omni-potent Creator to be in need of having partners in
carrying out His divine functions. A reprimanding statement with a
similar nature has also appeared in Surah Al-Baqarah in the following
words:
كَيْفَ تَكْفُرُوْنَ بِاللّهِ وَكُنْتُمْ أَمْوَاتًّا فَأَحْيَاكُمْ، ثُمَّ يُمِيْتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيُكُمُ ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ تُرُجَعُونَ
﴿٢٨﴾ هُوَ الَّذِىُ خَلَقَ لَكُمُ مَّا فِى الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا، ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَآءِ فَسَوُنُهُنَّ
سَبْعَ سَمُوتٍ ﴿ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٢٩)
"How is it that you deny Allah despite that you were lifeless and
He gave you life, then He will make you die, then make you
alive again, and then to Him you will be returned? It is He who
created for you all that the earth contains; then He turned to
the heavens and made them seven skies -- and He is the knower
of all things." (Verses 2:28-29)
The order of creation, the number of days in which this creation took
place and other details are not given in the verses of Surah Al-Baqarah;
they are mentioned here in Surah Fusilat.
The order of creation of the skies and the earth, and the Days of
Creation
Maulana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi has stated in Bayan-ul-Qur'an that,
although the creation of the earth and the skies has been mentioned
briefly or in detail at hundreds of places in the Qur'an, yet the sequence
of their creation is probably mentioned in three verses only. One is this
verse of Ha Mim Sajdah, the second is the above mentioned verse of
Surah Al-Baqarah, and the third is the following verse of Surah Nazi'at:
ءَ أنْتُمْ أَشَدُّ خَلْقًا آَمِ السَّمَآءُ بَنْهَا رَفَعَ سَمُكُهَا فَسَوُّبِهَا وَأَغْطَشَ لَيْلَهَا وَأَخْرَجَ ضُخِيهَا
وَالْأَرْضَ بَعُدَ ذلِكَ دِلحبهَا أَخْرَجَ مِنْهَا مَآءَ هَا وَمَرْغِيهَا وَالْجِبَالَ أَرْسُهَا
"Are you more difficult to create, or the sky? He has built it, He
has raised its height, then made it proper and darkened its
night and brought forth its daylight and, after that, He spread
out the earth. From it He brought out its water and its
meadows, and firmly fixed the mountains."(79:27-32)
During a cursory look into these three verses, one may feel a sort of
apparent contradiction between them, because we find from Surah
Al-Baqarah and Surah Ha Mim that the earth was created before the

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Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 9 - 12
sky, whereas in Surah Nazi'at, earth appears to have been created after
the sky. Maulana Thanawi Ww d >, has stated that after a careful
study of all these verses, it appears to him that only the matter of the
earth came into existence first, and before it was molded into shape, the
matter of sky came into existence in the form of a smoke. After that, the
earth was molded into shape with mountains, trees, etc. and then the
seven skies were given form out of the floating smoky matter. He hopes
that this clarification would explain the harmony between all the verses.
Only Allah knows the truth. (Bayan-ul-Qur'an - Surah Al-Baqarah, section 3).
Some questions regarding this verse and their answers given by
Sayyidnā Ibn 'Abbas 4% have been reported in Şahin of Bukhari. The
explanation of this verse given by Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
is about the
same as that given above by Maulana Thanawi رحمه الله تعالى - the words
quoted by Ibn Kathir are:
وخلق الأرض فى يومين ثم خلق السمآ ءَ ثم استوى إلى السّماء فسوْبهُنَّ فى
يومين أخرين ثم دحى الأرض ودحيها ان اخرج منها المآء والمرعى وخلق الجبال
والرمال والجماد والآكام وما بينهما فى يومين آخرين فذلِكَ قوله تعالى دَخبها.
Hafiz Ibn Kathir has also quoted the following as explanation of this
verse given by Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4ee with reference to Ibn Jarir:
"The Jews of Madinah came to see the Holy Prophet , and
asked him about the creation of the earth and of the skies. The
Holy Prophet told them that Allah Almighty created the
earth on Sunday and Monday, the mountains and the minerals
therein on Tuesday, and the trees, water springs, cities,
buildings and desolate plains on Wednesday - all this in four
days as stated in the verse.
آَمِنَّكُمْ لَتَكْفُرُوْنَ بِالَّذِىُ خَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِىُ يَوْمَيْنٍ وَتَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ، أَنْدَادًّا، ذلِكَ رَبُّ
الْغَلَمِيْنَ . وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَاسِىَ مِنَ فَوْقِهَا وَبَرَكَ فِيْهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيُهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا فِىّ أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ﴾.
سَوَآءً لِّلسَّآئِلِيْنَ .
Then He created the sky on Thursday. And on Friday, He
created the stars, the sun, the moon and the angels. All this
was completed on Friday when three hours were still left. All
the disasters and troubles that everything is going to face were
created in the second hour, and in the third period Sayyidna
'Adam &El was created and lodged in Paradise, Iblis was

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commanded to prostrate before Sayyidna 'Adam XE and turned
out of Paradise when he refused to prostrate. All this was
completed till the end of the third hour .... (Ibn Kathir). At the
end, Ibn Kathir says: "This hadith has an element of gharabah"
(that is, the contents of this Hadith are not corroborated by
other sources)
The commencement of creation took place on Saturday according to a
Hadith narrated by Sayyidna Abu Hurairah 446, reported in Şahin of
Muslim. As per this Hadith, it took seven days for the creation of the
earth and skies. But generally the explicit verses of the Qur'an mention
the duration of creation to be six days.
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا السَّمُوْتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِىُ سِتَّةِ آَيَّامٍ وَّمَا مَسَّنَا مِنْ لُغُوُبٍ
"And We created the heavens and the earth and all that is
between them in six days, and no weariness even touched
Us."(50:38)
Because of this, and also because of its (weak) chain of narrators, this
Hadith has been held as 'ma'lul' (defective) by the leading muhaddithin.
Ibn Kathir w Ul >, has stated that this Hadith is one of the strange
ones of Sahih of Muslim, and then stated that Imam Bukhari, in his book
Tarikh Kabir, has considered this narration to be ma'lul (defective). And
some scholars have quoted this statement as a saying of Sayyidna Abu
Hurairah
narrated by Ka'b Ahbar, and not as a statement of the
Holy Prophet g, and have said that this is the most correct. (Ibn Kathir p.
94, vol. 4)
Similarly, other masters of Hadith like Ibn-ul-Madini, Baihaqi, etc.
have also considered it to be a statement of Ka'b Ahbar. (Foot note of
Zad-ul-Masir by Ibn-ul-Jauzī, p. 273, vol. 7)
The narration of Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4ee quoted above from Ibn
Jarir has also an element of gharabah, (being against other sources)
according to Ibn Kathir. One reason for its gharabah is that in this
narration creation of Sayyidna 'Adam & took place alongwith the
creation of skies in the last hour of Friday, and the divine order for
prostration and the exit of Iblis from the Paradise is also mentioned to
have taken place in the same hour. But it is patently clear from the text of
many verses of the Qur'an that creation of Sayyidna 'Adam Hall took
place a long time after the creation of the earth and skies, when the earth

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was provided with all the necessities, and it was inhabited by the Jinns
and satans (devils). It was after all this that Allah Ta'ala told the angels
that He was going to make a vicegerent on the earth. (Mazhari)
Briefly, of all the ahadith wherein the duration, days and sequence of
creation of the earth and skies is narrated, no narration is such which can
be said to be as absolutely certain as the Qur'an. Rather, it is very likely
that these may be Israelite traditions, not noble ahadith, as clarified by
Ibn Kathir about the Hadith quoted in Şahin of Muslim and Nasa'i.
Therefore conclusions should be drawn from the verses of the Qur'an
only. The one thing found absolutely certain from the verses of the
Qur'an collectively is that the earth, the skies and whatever is inside them
were created in six days only. The other thing found from the verses of
Surah Ha Mim Sajdah is that the creation of the earth, its mountains,
trees, etc. took full four days. The third thing found is that the creation of
skies took two days - it is not clarified whether it took two full days. There
is some indication that two full days were not used and some part of the
last day, being Friday, was left unused. It appears from these verses that
it took four days for the creation of the earth and the remaining two days
for the creation of the skies, the earth having been created first. But the
verse of Surah Nazi'at states clearly that the laying out of the earth and
its completion took place after the creation of the skies. Therefore the
sequence stated above, with reference to Bayan-ul-Qur'an, that the
creation of the earth took place in two stages, is not beyond reason. In the
first two days, the earth and the matter for mountains, etc. were created,
in the next two days the skies were created, and in the last two days the
laying out of the earth and the creation of the mountains, trees rivers,
springs etc. was completed. In this way the four days of the creation of the
earth were not continuous. As for the sequence mentioned in the present
verse of Surah Ha Mim Sajdah, it is stated first that the creation of the
earth took place in two days: ◌ِخَلَقَ الْأَرْضَ فِى يَوْمَيْن (the One who has created
the earth in two days, - 41:9), then after giving a reprimand to the
وَجَعَلَ فِيْهَا رَوَاسِىَ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا وبرَكَ فِيْهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيُهَا أَقُوَاتَهَا :mushrikin, it is stated separately
(5 ans (He has placed firm mountains in it [the earth] towering above
it, and put blessings in it, and proportioned its foods therein, in four days -
10). It should be remembered that the four days mentioned in this verse
are inclusive of the first two days mentioned in verse 9, according to the

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Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 9 - 12
consensus of the exegetes. The first two days and the later four days are
not separate, otherwise the total period of creation would become eight
days which is against the explicit statement of the Qur'an.
It appears that it would have been more proper at this point if, after
mentioning the creation of earth in two days, the creation of mountains
etc. were also mentioned in two days, and thus it would have been known
that the total number of days taken for the creation of earth was four.
But by choosing to state that the number of days including the remainder
of the earth's creations totals four, Qur'an has probably indicated that the
four days were not continuous, but in two parts - two days before the
creation of the skies, and two days after it. The creation of mountains etc.
mentioned in the verse 10, relates to the period after the creation of the
skies. And Allah knows best.
(He has placed firm mountains in it (the earth) وَجَعَلَ فِيْهَا رَوَاسِىَ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا
towering above it, ... 41:10) The mountains have been created to maintain
the earth's balance as has been clarified in many verses of Qur'an. It was
not necessary for this purpose to raise them above the earth's surface and
to make them so high - they could have been placed inside the earth also.
But in raising them above and making them so high as to keep them
away from the reach of human beings and animals, generally, there were
thousands, rather innumerable, benefits for the inhabitants of the earth.
Hence the words, "towering above it" in this verse point out to this special
blessing.
and proportioned its foods therein, in) وَقَدَّرَ فِيُهَا أَقْوَاتَهَا فِىُ أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ سَوَاءٌ لِلِسَّائِلِيْنَ
four days, equal for those who ask ...... 41:10) __ (Aqwat) is plural of Qut
o's which means food, sustenance, including common necessities of
human life. (Abū 'Ubaid - Zad-ul-Masir by Ibn-ul- Jauzī)
Hasan 48% and Suddi have said in its explanation that Allah Almighty
has predetermined the sustenance and maintenance for the inhabitants
of every region according to their need and expedience in the sense that
He issued directions that such and such items be produced in such and
such qualities in this region of the earth. This predetermination has
caused every region of the earth to have characteristics of its own, and
different kinds of minerals, different kinds of vegetation, trees and
animals have been created according to the needs, nature and preferences

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Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 9 - 12
of that zone.
This arrangement results in every region having different products
and different dresses - 'Aşb in Yemen, Saburi in Sabur, Țayalisah in Ray,
wheat in some region, rice and other grains in other regions, cotton in
some areas, jute in some others, apples and grapes in some areas, mangos
in others; these differences in items accord with the differences in the
nature of the different regions. 'Ikrimah and Dahhak state that these
differences in the products in different regions have opened ways for
international trade and for mutual cooperation between different regions
and countries of the world. No region is independent of other regions for
the fulfillment of its needs; mutual wants are the only firm basis for
mutual cooperation. 'Ikrimah has stated that in some areas salt is sold for
an equal weight of gold.
In fact, Allah Almighty has made this earth, so to say, such a great
store of all necessities such as food, shelter, clothes, etc. of all its
inhabitant, including billions and billions of humans and innumerable
animals that are to come in this world up to Doomsday. These necessities
have been kept inside it, and they will keep on growing and being
supplied as needed until the Last Day of this world. All a man has to do is
to take the necessities out of the earth according to his need and use
them.
Further on, the text states: LJ (equal for those who ask -10).
Most of the commentators (mufassirin) have related this sentence to the
four days. It means that all these great creations took place in exactly
four days. Generally 'four' does not always mean exactly four - it may be
slightly more or slightly less, but the fractions are disregarded in such
cases, and it is still called 'four'. The addition of the word 'equal' here in
the verse has eliminated this possibility, and clarified that the creation of
the earth and the skies and what is placed in them took place in exactly
four days. And the word 'for those who ask' means those people who
asked the Holy Prophet g regarding the creation of the earth and the
skies, as the Jews did according to Tafsir Ibn Jarir and Ad-Durr-ul-
Manthur. They have been told that all this creation took place in exactly
four days. (Ibn Kathir, Qurțubī, Ruh)
And some exegetes Ibn Zayd, etc., have linked the words 'for those

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Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 13 - 25
who ask' with the foregoing sentence 'proportioned its foods therein" and
held 'those who ask' to mean the needy people who ask for food. The
meaning in this case would be that Allah Almighty has created all these
different kinds and species of foods and necessities for the benefit of those
who need and seek them, and since needy people usually ask for food,
they have been called 'those who ask'. (Al-Bahr-ul-Muhit)
Ibn Kathir has quoted this explanation and said that it is like the
statement of the Quran ◌ُاتبكُمُ مِّنُ كُلّ مَا سَاَلْتُمُوه (And He gave you whatever
you asked for. - 14:34) 'you asked for' in this verse means 'you were in
need of even though it has not been asked literally, because Allah
Almighty has bestowed those things even to those who did not ask for
them.
,and said to it and to the earth) فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلَاَرُضِ اثْتِيَا طَوْعًا أَوْ كَرُهًا قَالَتَا آتَيْنَا طَآئِعِينَ
"Come [to My obedience], both of you, willingly or unwillingly." Both said,
"We come willingly." - 41:11) This command addressed to the earth and
sky and their compliant and obedient reply, according to some exegetes, is
a metaphorical expression for the readiness of the earth and the sky to
comply with every order from Allah Almighty. But Ibn 'Atiyyah and other
leading research scholars have stated that this is no metaphor - it is
based on reality. Allah Almighty had endowed the earth and the skies
with the faculty of intellect and comprehension of the commands
addressed to them and also with the power of speaking and replying.
Tafsir Al-Bahr-ul-Muhit, after quoting this explanation, has held it to be
the most suitable and the best. Ibn Kathir, after quoting the above
explanation, has also quoted the statement of some exegetes that the
earth's reply was given by that portion of the earth on which Baytullah
has been constructed and the sky's reply was given by that portion of the
sky which is just above the Baytullah, known as Al-Bayt-ul- Ma'mur.
Verses 13 - 25
فَإِنُ أَعْرَضُوا فَقُلُ اَنْذَرْتُكُمُ ضِعِقَةً مِّثْلَ صِعِقَةٍ عَادٍ وَثَمُوُدَ ﴿١٣﴾
إِذْجَآءَتُهُمُ الرُّسُلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ آَيْدِيُهِمُ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمُ الَّتَعْبُدُوْا إِلَّ اللهَ
قَالُوا لَوْشَآءَ رَبُّنَا لَأَ نْزَلَ مَلَئِكَةً فَإِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُمُ بِهِ كَفِرُونَ ﴿١٤﴾ فَمَّا

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Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 13 - 25
عَادٌ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوْا فِى الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً"
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللّهَ الَّذِىُ خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ اَشَدُّ مِنْهُمُ قُوَّةً * وَكَانُوا بِإِنَا
يَجْحَدُوُنَ ﴿١٥﴾ فَاَرْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ رِيُحَا صَرْصَرًا فِىْ آَيَّامِ نَّحِسَاتٍ
لِنُذِيقَهُمُ عَذَابَ الْخِزُىِ فِى الْحَيْوةِ الدُّنْيَاءُ وَلَعَذَابُ الْآخِرَةِ آَخْزِى
وَهُمْ لَا يُنْصَرُوُنَ ﴿١٦﴾ وَآَمَّا ثَّمُوُدُ فَهَدَيُنُهُمُ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمْىِ عَلَى
الْهُدى فَاَخَذَتُهُمُ ضِعِقَةُ الْعَذَابِ الْهُوُنِ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ ﴿١٧﴾
وَنَجَّيْنَا الَّذِيْنَ أمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٨﴾ وَيَوْمَ يُحْشَرُ أَعْدَاءُ اللَّهِ
إِلَى النَّارِ فَهُمُ يُوزَّعُونَ ﴿١٩) حَتّىَ إِذَا مَاجَاءُوُهَا شَهِدَ عَلَيْهِمُ
سَمْعُهُمُ وَاَبْصَارُهُمْ وَجُلُودُهُمُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٢٠﴾ وَقَالُوا
لِجُلُوْدِهِمْ لِمَ شَهِدْتُمُ عَلَيْنَاء قَالُوْا أَنْطَقَنَا اللَّهُ الَّذِى أَنْطَقَ كُلَّ
شَىْءٍ وَّهُوَ خَلَقَكُمُ اَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَّإِلَيْهِ تُرُجَعُونَ ﴿٢١﴾ وَمَا كُنْتُمُ
تَسْتَتِرُوْنَ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ عَلَيْكُمُ سَمُعُكُمُ وَلا أَبْصَارُكُمْ وَلاَ جُلُوُدُكُمْ
وَالْكِنُ ظَنْتُمْ أَنَّ اللّهَ لاَيَعْلَمُ كَثِيْرًا مِّمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٢٢﴾ وَدُلِّكُمُ
ظَنَّكُمُ الَّذِىُ ظَنَنْتُمْ بِرَبِّكُمْ أَرْدِنْكُمُ فَأَصْبَحْتُمْ مِّنَ الْخَسِرِيْنَ ﴿٢٣﴾
فَإِنْ يَّصُبِرُوا فَالنَّارُ مَثْوَّى لَهُمُ ﴿ وَإِنْ يَّسْتَعْتِبُوْا فَمَاهُمْ مِّنَ الْمُعْتَبِيْنَ
﴿٢٤﴾ وَقَيَّضُنَا لَهُمُ قُرَنَآءَ فَيَّنُوا لَهُمُ مَّابَيْنَ آَيْدِيْهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمُ
وَحَقَّ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَوْلُ فِىْ أُمَمٍ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ؟
إِنَّهُمُ كَانُوا لُسِرِينَ ﴿٢٥﴾
So, if they turn away, then say, "I have warned you of a
calamity like the calamity of 'Ad and Thamud, [13] when
the messengers came to them from their front and from
their back, saying, "Do not worship anyone but Allah."
They said, "Had our Lord (really) willed (to send
someone as messenger), He would have sent down
angels. So, we are deniers of what you have been sent

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Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 13 - 25
with." [14] As for 'Ad, they showed arrogance in the land
with no right (to do so), and said, "Who is stronger than
us in power?" Did they not see that Allah, who created
them, is stronger than them in power? And they used to
reject Our signs. [15] So, We let loose a wild wind on
them in unlucky days to make them taste the
humiliating punishment in the present life. And of
course, the punishment of the Hereafter will be much
more humiliating, and they will not be helped. [16] And
as for Thamud, We showed them the way, but they
preferred blindness to the guidance. Therefore, they
were seized by the bang of the abasing punishment
because of what they used to earn. [17] And We saved
those who believed and used to be God-fearing. [18] And
(remind them of) the day when Allah's enemies will be
mustered towards the Fire. So they will be kept under
control, [19] until when they will come to it, their ears
and their eyes and their skins will testify against them
about what they used to do. [20] And they will say to
their skins, "Why did you testify against us?" They (the
skins) will say, " We were made to speak by Allah, the
One who has made every thing to speak." And He had
created you the first time, and to Him you are going to
be returned. [21] And you had not been hiding your
selves (when committing sins) because of (the
apprehension) that your ears and your eyes and your
skins would bear witness against you, but you thought
that Allah did not know much of what you did. [22] And
this thought of yours that you conceived about your
Lord brought you to ruin, and you became among the
losers. [23] Now, if they endure patiently, even then the
Fire is their abode, and if they seek forgiveness, they
are not among those (who could be) forgiven. [24] And
We had assigned for them fellows (in the worldly life)
who beautified for them what was before them and
what was behind them, and thus they believed that
whatever they were doing was good. 'what was before
them' refers to their present acts, while 'what was
behind them' refers to their past acts. And (thus) the
word (of punishment) became due against them along
with the communities that passed before them from
Jinns and human beings. Surely they were the losers.
[25]
Commentary
The basic purpose of these verses is to warn the people of Makkah

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Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 13 - 25
that if, even after seeing the manifest proofs of the Oneness of Allah, they
do not accept the call of the Holy Prophet , they may face a punishment
like the earlier people of 'Ad and Thamud had faced. In this context, a
brief account of what happened to these people has been given. The
people of Makkah are also reminded that their punishment on the Day of
Judgment will be much more severe, and they will not be able to escape it,
because even the organs of their body will testify against them. And in
this context, some events of that Day are mentioned.
So, We let loose a wild wind on them - 41:16) This) فَارْسَلْنَا عَلَيْهِمُ رِيْحًا صَرُصَرًا
is the explanation of what was mentioned as 'calamity of 'Ad and
Thamud' in the earlier verse. The Arabic word used in the text is saiqah.
It originally means 'something that renders one unconscious. That is why
the thunderbolt is also called sa'iqah, and unforeseen calamity and
disaster is also called sa'iqah. The storm which entrapped the people of
'Ad was also a 'sa'iqah', and has been mentioned in the present verse as
'wild wind' which was a wild tempest of extremely high speed and had
piercing sound. (Qurțubi)
Mentioning the details of this tempest, Dahhak 4, has said that rains
had been totally stopped from them by Allah Almighty for three years,
and dry tempestuous winds kept on blousing all the time, and for eight
days and seven nights, they had continuous extremely severe windstorm.
Some narrations have it that this event took place in the end of month of
Shawwal, commenced on a Wednesday and kept on till the next
Wednesday. Whenever any nation has been subjected to a scourge, it has
happened on a Wednesday. (Qurtubi, Mazhari)
Sayyidna Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah 4
has stated that when Allah
Almighty wants the welfare of a nation, He orders rain to fall on them,
and stops very fast winds from blousing over them, whereas when a
nation is to face a misfortune, rain is withheld from them, and strong
winds start blousing frequently.
in unlucky days .... 41:16). It is established by the) فِىُ أَيَّامِ نَّحِسَاتٍ
principles of Islam and ahadith of the Holy Prophet that no day or
night is in itself unlucky or ill-omened. The days of the windstorm over
the people of 'Ad have been called 'unlucky' because those days had
become ill-omened for them due to their misdeeds. It does not necessarily

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Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 13 - 25
mean that those days were ill-omened for every body. (Mazhari and
Bayan-ul-Qur'an). The detailed investigation as to whether anything can be
ill-omened by its nature can be seen in the author's book
Ahkam-ul-Qur'an Vol. 5 in Arabic)
3424 (So they will be kept under control ..... 41:19) The original
word used in the text is 'Yuza'un' which is derived from waz' which means
'to stop', 'to prevent'. Most of the learned exegetes have explained it in the
sense that when people of Hell, who will be numerous, will be taken
forward to the field of hashr and the place of reckoning, the people in the
front will be halted for a while, so that the people in the rear also catch up
with them. This will be done to avoid indiscipline. ( It is this interpretation
of the verse on the basis of which it is translated as 'kept under control'.)
And some exegetes have translated 'Yuza'un' as 'pushed' which means
that they would be driven towards the place of reckoning by being
pushed. (Qurțubi)
And you had not been hiding your) وَمَا كُنْتُمُ تَسْتَتِرُوُنَ أَنْ يَشْهَدَ عَلَيْكُمُ سَمُعُكُمْ
selves [when committing sins] because of [the apprehension] that your
ears and your eyes and your skins would bear witness against
you, ..... 41:22) This verse means that if anyone wants to commit a sin or a
crime, he may hide it from others, but how can he hide it from his own
limbs and organs? When it is known that our ears, eyes, hands, feet, skin
and hair are not ours, rather they are witnesses of the state against us,
and when they would be questioned about our deeds, they would give
true evidence, then there is no way to hide the commitment of a crime or a
sin. The only way to avoid the disgrace is to keep away from sin.
Although it is not expected from the deniers of Oneness of Allah and of
prophethood, that it would enter their minds that their organs and limbs
would speak up before Allah Almighty and give evidence against
themselves, yet any intelligent person could have understood that it is
totally impossible that the One who has created him from a lowly matter,
given him ability to hear and see, brought him up and made him young,
will not fully know his deeds and state of affairs. But you had thought,
against this evident matter, that Allah Almighty had no knowledge of
many of your deeds. This false assumption encouraged you to commit
'shirk' and 'kufr'. This is the meaning of Verse 23 where it is said, 33,
And this thought of yours that you conceived" ظَنَّكُمُ الَّذِىُ ظَنَنْتُمُ بِرَبِّكُمْ أَرْدُبِكُمُ

647
Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 26 - 29
about your Lord brought you to ruin ... "
The Evidence of Man's Limbs and organs after Resurrection
According to a narration reported in Şahin of Muslim Sayyidna Anas
says, "One day we were with the Holy Prophet
when he started
laughing. Then he asked us whether we knew why he was laughing. We
said that Allah and His Rasul
knew best. Then he said "What made
me laugh was the dialogue a slave will have with his Lord on the Day of
Resurrection. The slave will say, "O my Lord! Did you not give me
protection from injustice?" Allah Almighty will say, 'No doubt, I did.' Then
this slave will say, 'Since this is so, I would not be satisfied with any
evidence in the matter of my accountability, except that some part of my
كَفَى بِنَفُسِكَ الْيَوْمَ ,own being stands up as witness.' Allah Almighty will say
Sle 'Your own being is enough today to take your account. (17:14)'
Then his mouth will be sealed, and his limbs and organs will be asked to
tell about his deeds. Every organ would speak up and give true evidence.
After that his mouth will be unsealed, and then he will say to his own
organs in displeasure, ◌ُبُعُدًا لَّكُمْ وَسُحقًا فَعَنْكُنَّ أُنَاضِل May you be ruined. May you
be destroyed; whatever I had done in the world was only to make you
comfortable', (whereas you have stated to furnish evidence against me.)
And according to another narration by Sayyidna Abu Hurairah age,
this person's mouth will be sealed, and his thigh will be called to speak
and tell about his deeds. Then his thigh, its flesh and bone will all give
evidence of his deeds. (Muslim, Mazharī)
Sayyidna Ma'qil Ibn Yasar age has narrated that the Holy Prophet
has said that every new day calls the humans saying, 'I am a new day,
and I shall be a witness to whatever you do today. So you should do some
good deed before I come to an end, in order that I may give evidence,
because once I am gone, you will never find me again. Similarly, every
night gives the same call.' (Al-Qurtubi, with reference to Abu Nu'aim)
Verses 26 - 29
وَقَالَ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا لاَ تَسْمَعُوا لِهِذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَالْغَوْا فِيْهِ لَعَلَّكُمُ
تَغُلِبُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾ فَلَنُذِيْقَنَّ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا عَذَابًا شَدِيْدًا " وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمُ

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Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 26 - 29
أَسْوَاَ الَّذِىُ كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾ ذلِكَ جَزَاءُ أَعْدَاءِ اللَّهِ النَّارُ لَهُمْ
فِيْهَا دَارُ الْخُلُدِ + جَزَآءٍ بِمَا كَانُوا بِانْتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾ وَقَالَ الَّذِيْنَ
كَفَرُوا رَبَّنَا أَرِنَا الَّذِيْنَ اضَلْنَا مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ نَجْعَلُهُمَا تَحْتَ
أَقُدَامِنَا لِيَكُوُنَا مِنَ الْأَسْفَلِيْنَ ﴿٢٩﴾
And said those who disbelieved, "Do not listen to this
Qur'an, and make noise during its recitation, so that
you may overcome." [26] So, We will certainly make
them taste a severe punishment, and will certainly
recompense them for the worst of what they used to do.
[27] That is the recompense of the enemies of Allah- the
Fire. For them there is the eternal home, as a
recompense for their persistent denial of Our verses.
[28] And those who disbelieve will say, "Our Lord, show
us the two who led us astray, out of the Jinns and the
humans, and we will put both of them under our feet,
so that they become among the lowest." [29]
Commentary
Do not listen to this Qur'an, and make noise) لاَ تَسُمَعُوا لِهِذَا الْقُرْآنِ وَالْغَوْا فِيْهِ
during its recitation, - 41:26) When all the efforts of the disbelievers failed
in confronting the Holy Qur'an, they started doing such mischievous acts
as mentioned in this verse. Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
has stated that Abu
Jahl got his people primed up and ready to make noises whenever
Muhammad
recited the Qur'an, so that people might not find out what
he is saying. Some have said that preparations were made to stop people
from listening to the Qur'an by whistling, clapping and by making all
sorts of noises during the recitation.
It is Wajib (necessary) to listen quietly while Qur'an is being
recited; It is infidel's way not to remain quiet.
It is learnt from the above verse that making noises with the intention
of creating disturbance in the recitation of the Qur'an is a sign of
disbelief. It is also known that to listen quietly to the recitation of the
Qur'an is wajib (necessary) and a sign of faith. It has become a usual
practice in our days that people put their radios (and cassette players) on
where the Holy Qur'an is recited with loud voice, which can be heard in
about every restaurant and place of gathering, while people go about

649
Surah Hamim As-Sajdah : 41 : 30 - 36
their business never paying any attention to the Holy Qur'an. This
practice presents a picture that was a sign of infidels. May Allah Almighty
guide Muslims. They should either avoid the recitation of the Holy Qur'an
at such places and on such occasions where people are unable to listen to
it, or if they wish to benefit from the blessing of the recitation, they must
listen to it quietly and attentively.
Verses 30 - 36
إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلْئِكَةُ الَّ
تَخَافُوْا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوْا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِىُ كُنْتُمْ تُوُعَدُوْنَ ﴿٣٠﴾
نَحْنُ أَوْلِيُّؤُكُمْ فِى الْحَيْوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِى الْآخِرَةِ ، وَلَكُمُ فِيْهَا مَا
تَشْتَهِىِّ أَنْفُسُكُمُ وَلَكُمُ فِيْهَا مَاتَدَّعُونَ ﴿٣١ ط﴾ نُزُلاً مِّنُ غَفُورٍ رَّحِيمِ
﴿٢﴾ وَمَنْ أَحُسَنُ قَوْلاً مِّمَّنُ دَعَا إِلَى اللهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَّقَالَ
إِنِّىُ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِيْنَ ﴿٣٣﴾ وَلاَ تَسْتَوِى الْحَسَنَةُ وَلاَ السَّيِّئَةُ+ ◌ِدُفَعُ
بِالَِّى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِىُ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيْمٌ
﴿٣٤٥)﴾ وَمَا يُلَقْبِهَا إِلاَّ الَّذِيْنَ صَبَرُواتَ وَمَا يُلَقُّهَا إِلَّ ذُوْحَظٍ عَظِيمٍ
﴿٣٥﴾ وَإِمَّا يَنْزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ الشَّيْطِنِ نَزْعٌ فَاسْتَعِدُ بِاللهِّ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ
الْعَلِيُمُ ﴿٣٦﴾
Surely, those who have declared: "Our Lord is Allah",
then remained steadfast, on them the angels will
descend, saying, "Do not fear, and do not grieve; and be
happy with the good news of the Jannah that you had
been promised. [30] We have been your friends in the
worldly life, and (will remain as such) in the Hereafter.
And for you here is whatever your souls desire, and for
you here is whatever you call for [31] - a gift of welcome
from the Most-forgiving, the Very-Merciful". [32] And
who can be better in words than the one who calls
towards Allah, and acts righteously and says, "I am one
of those who submit themselves (to Allah)"? [33] And
good and evil are not equal. Repel (evil) with what is