Indexed OCR Text

672
Surah Shura : 42 : 10 - 12
Verses 10 - 12
وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمُ فِيْهِ مِنْ شَىْءٍ فَحُكُمُهَ إِلَى اللّهِ ذلِكُمُ اللّهُ رَبِّى عَلَيْهِ
تَوَّلُتُ ◌ٍ وَإِلَيْهِ أُنِيبُ ﴿١٠﴾ فَاطِرُ السَّمُوتِ وَالْأَرْضِ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ
مِّنُ اَنْفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا وَّمِنَ الْآَنْعَامِ أَزْوَاجًا ، يَذْرَؤُكُمُ فِيْهِ * لَيْسَ
كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيْرُ ﴿١١﴾ لَهْ مَقَالِيُدُ السَّمُوتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ ◌َ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَّشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ﴿ إِنَّه بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
And (Say O prophet to your opponents,) "Whatever
dispute you have in any matter, its judgment lies with
Allah. That One is Allah, the Lord of mine; in Him alone
I have placed my trust, and to Him alone I turn (in
every matter)." [10] He is the Creator of the heavens and
the earth. He has made for you pairs from among
yourselves, and pairs from the cattle. He makes you
expand in this way. Nothing is like Him. And He is the
All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. [11] To Him belong the keys
of the heavens and the earth. He extends provision for
whomsoever He wills and straitens (it for whomsoever
He wills). Surely He is All-Knowing in respect of every
thing. [12]
Commentary
Whatever dispute you have in any) وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمُ فِيْهِ مِنْ شَىْءٍ فَحُكُمُهُ، إِلَى اللهِ
matter, its judgment lies with Allah. - 10) It means that the judgement in
all those matters in which you dispute lies with Allah, because the
sovereignty belongs to Allah only, as stated in another verse: JU ! !
(The Decision belongs to none but Allah - 6:57). The direction in many
verses to obey Rasulullah
and in some verses to obey those in
authority does not contradict the above, because the orders of Rasulullah
and of the authorities are also, in a way, orders of Allah. If the order
has been received through 'wahy' or based upon the clear and definite
verses (nuşus) of the Qur'an and sunnah, then its being an order of Allah
is obvious. And if the order is an ijtihad' (inference) which in turn is
based upon nusus of Qur'an and sunnah, then also, in a way, it is an
order of Allah. 'Ijtihadat' (plural of 'ijtihad') of the 'mujtahidin' of the

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Surah Shura : 42 : 13 - 15
ummah (those who are competent to interpret the Qur'an and Sunnah,
and infer Islamic laws from them) on this basis, are included in orders of
Allah. That is why the learned scholars have declared that the fatwa
(ruling) given by a 'mufti (A competent Islamic scholar) is to be taken as
a part of the religious law by the common masses who do not have the
ability to understand the Qur'an and the sunnah directly.
Verses 13-15
شَرَعَ لَكُمُ مِّنَ الدِّيْنِ مَاوَصَّى بِهِ نُوحًا وَالَّذِىُّ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَمَا
وَصَّيْنَا بِهَ اِبْرِهِيُمَ وَمُوْسِى وَعِيْسَى أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّيْنَ وَلاَ تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيْهِ
ط كَبُرَ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ مَاتَدْعُوُهُمُ إِلَيْهِ ﴿ اللّهُ يَجْتَبِىِّ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ
وَيَهْدِىٌّ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ يُّنِيْبُ ﴿١٣﴾ وَمَا تَفَرَّقُواْ إِلاَّ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَاجَآءَهُمُ
الْعِلْمُ بَغْيَّاً بَيْنَهُمُ ، وَلَوْلاً كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ إِلَى أَجَلٍ مُّسَمّى
لَّقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمُ ، وَإِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ أُوْرِثُوا الْكِتْبَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ لَفِىُ شَكٍّ مِنْهُ
مُرِيْبٍ ﴿١٤﴾ فَلِذْلِكَ فَادْعُ وَاسْتَقِمُ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ ، وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُ
اَهُوَآءَهُمْ ، وَقُلْ آمَنْتُ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ مِنْ كِتْبٍ، وَأُمِرْتُ لِأَعْدِلَ
بَيْنَكُمْ ﴿ اَللَّهُ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمْ ﴿ لَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمُ + لاَحُجَّةً
بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ اللهُ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ ﴿١٥﴾
He has ordained for you the same religion as He had
enjoined upon Nuh, and that which We have revealed to
you, and that which We had enjoined upon Ibrahim and
Musa and 'Isa by saying, " Establish the religion, and be
not divided therein." Arduous for the mushriks
(polytheists) is that to which you are inviting them.
Allah chooses (and pulls) toward Himself anyone He
wills, and guides to Himself anyone who turns to Him
(to seek guidance). [13] And they were not divided, in
jealousy with each other, but after the knowledge had
come to them. And had it not been for a word that had
come forth earlier from your Lord (and was effective)
until a specified time, the matter would have been
decided between them. And those who were made to

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Surah Shura : 42 : 13 - 15
inherit the Book after them are in confounding doubt
about it. [14] So, (O prophet,) towards that (faith) invite
(people), and be steadfast as you are commanded, and
do not follow their desires, and say, "I believe in
whatever book Allah has sent down. And I have been
ordered to do justice among you. Allah is our Lord and
your Lord. For us are our deeds, and for you, your
deeds. There is no argumentation between us and you.
Allah will bring us together, and to Him is the final
return." [15]
Commentary
He has ordained for you the same religion) شَرَعَ لَكُمُ مِّنَ الدِّيْنِ مَاوَضْى بِهِ نُوحًا
as He had enjoined upon Nuh -- 42:13) Allah Almighty's obvious and
material blessings were stated in the previous verses. Stated from here
are the inner and spiritual blessings. That is, He has blessed you with
that very cogent and infallible religion which has been common between
all the prophets el. Five of the prophets &all have been mentioned in
the verse. Sayyidna Nuh Meal has been mentioned first, and our Prophet
in the end, while Sayyidna Ibrahim del in the middle, because he is
the father of prophets and was accepted as a prophet even by Arabs,
despite their 'kufr' and 'shirk'. Sayyidna Musa and 'Isa Ma have been
mentioned after him, because their followers were the ones who were
present when Qur'an was being revealed. These five prophets are
also the ones named in Surah Ahzab where the covenant of the prophets
given to Allah is mentioned, the difference being that the last of the
Prophet & has been mentioned before Sayyidna Nuh Sea in Surah
Ahzab, whereas Sayyidna Nuh Med has been mentioned before our
Prophet g in the present surah. Perhaps this is to indicate that although
the last of the Prophets & was born and sent as a prophet after all other
prophets, yet he preceded everyone else in the originally destined (azali)
distribution of prophethood and messengership. This has been stated in a
Hadith: 'I preceded all the other prophets in the original creation and I
am last of all the prophets in being sent." (Reported by Ibn Majah, Darimi, from
Bahz Ibn Hakim, and rated as hasan'-See Mishkah)
Now the question arises that the very first prophet is Sayyidna 'Adam
Stell, but the mention of prophets Sell does not commence with his name.
The reason is that Sayyidna 'Adam & was the first prophet to have
come in this world, and although he has commonality in principles of

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Surah Shura : 42 : 13 - 15
beliefs and important features of faith, yet during his period, no 'kufr' and
'shirk' had appeared in the people. Confrontation with 'kufr' and 'shirk'
commenced with Sayyidna Nuh &Cd, who is the first prophet to have
faced such problems which were to be faced by later prophets, and as such
Sayyidna Nuh &all has been mentioned first. (Allah knows best).
Establish the religion, and be not divided) أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ وَلاَ تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيْهِ
therein. - 42:13). - This is an explanation of the preceding sentence which
means that the 'din' (religion) which is common to all the prophets and in
which all are agreed has to be established and maintained; opposing this
religion or creating differences in it is not only impermissible, but also
liable to a destructive end.
Establishing the Din is obligatory Duty and Dissension in it is
forbidden
Two orders have been given in this verse - one, 'Establish the religion'
and the second, 'Be not divided therein.' which forbids dissension in
religion. This sentence is preceded by the word 'an' which has been
translated above as, 'by saying'. As such, this is an explanation of the
word, 'ordained' occurring in the beginning. Therefore the word 'din'
(religion) in this verse means the same 'din' which has been common
between all the prophets, and which calls for adherence to the belief in
Oneness of Allah, prophethood, the life after death, and to the principles
of worship as salah, fasting, hajj and zakah; it forbids theft, robbery,
adultery, telling of lies, deceit, hurting others without a valid reason,
breach of promise - all these have been common injunctions between all
divine religions.
On the other hand, It is also proved through an unambiguous verse of
the Qur'an لِكُلّ جَعَلْنَا مِنْكُمُ شِرُعَةً وَّمِنُهَاجًا (For each of you We have made a way
and a method - 5:48) that there are ancillary differences in the details of
the revealed laws of different prophets &l. In the light of all these facts
taken together, it becomes clear that the order of establishing the religion
and prohibition of dissension pertains to those divine laws which have
been common and consistent in the codes of all the prophets - It is
these injunctions in which creating differences is forbidden.
Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud 4
states that one day Rasulullah
drew a straight line in front of us, and then drew other small lines on the

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Surah Shura : 42 : 13 - 15
right and left of the straight line and said that the lines on the right and
left were the ways invented by devils, and each of those ways is controlled
by a Shaitan (Satan) who incites people to follow that path; and then,
pointing towards the straight line, he said ◌ُوَأَنَّ هذَا صِرَاطِى مُستَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوه (And this
my path, straight. So follow it - 6:153.) (Ahmad, An-Nasa'i, Darimi - Mazhari)
The straight path in the above simile means the same path of true
'din' (religion) which has been common to all the prophets el creating
diversions in it is to create differences which is forbidden and an act of
Shaiațans (Satan). Correct ahadith strictly forbid creating differences in
such injunctions which are unanimously agreed. The Holy Prophet
said من فارق الجماعة شبرا فقد خلع ربقة الاسلام من عنقه (Ahmad, Abu Dawud) meaning
that the person who moves away even one span from the general body of
Muslims has taken out the neck-band of Islamic beliefs from his neck.
يَدُ اللّهِ على الجماعة Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas e has stated that Rasulullah i said
(Tirmidhi, with rating as 'hasan) meaning that Allah's hand is upon the
general body. Sayyidna Mu'adh Ibn Jabal 4ce has narrated that
Rasulullah
said that for humans, Shaiatan (Satan) is like a wolf after
a herd of goats, catching hold of the goat which has strayed away from
the herd. Therefore you should stay with the general body, and do not
separate yourself. (Ahmad, as quoted by Tafsir Mazhari)
Differences in the ancillaries between leading Mujtahidin is not
covered by the dissension forbidden in this verse
It is obvious from the above that differences of opinions between
leading 'mujtahidin' in ancillary matters where express injunctions are
not found in the Qur'an and ahadith or where there is an apparent
contradiction between the nusus of the Qur'an and ahadith and where
opinions are bound to differ, do not bear any relation to the forbidden
dissension. Such differences have been continuing since the days of the
Holy Prophet
starting with the noble companions
themselves and
are considered to be blessings by the jurisprudents unanimously.
Establishing 'din' that has been obligated in this verse means to hold
on to the rules of religion steadfastly, not to let any doubt or distrust creep
into it and not to give it up in any case. (Qurțubi)
Arduous for the mushriks (Polytheists) is) كَبُرَ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِيْنَ مَاتَدْعُوُهُمْ إِلَيْهِ
that to which you are inviting them - 42:13). Addressing the Holy Prophet

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Surah Shura : 42 : 13 - 15
Ag, the verse says, 'Your call to the belief in Oneness of Allah, which is
the foundation of the true religion, seems very difficult to the polytheists,
although it has been proved to be true through the consensus of all the
prophets, because they follow their desires and the teachings of the
Shaitan (Satan), and have therefore strayed from the right path, which is
prohibited as mentioned above.
Allah chooses [and pulls] towards) اللهُ يَجْتَبِىِّ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ وَيَهْدِىٌ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ يُنِيْبُ
Himself anyone He wills and guides anyone who turns to Him. - 42:13).
There are only two ways for one to have the straight path. One is that
Allah Almighty himself selects him for the straight path of His religion
and moulds his nature and inclinations accordingly, which happens in the
case of prophets and His special friends. It is about them that Qur'an
states ◌ِإِنَّ اخُلَصُنُهُمُ بِخَالِصَةٍ ذِكْرَى الدَّار (We them chose for a trait of remembering
the [eternal] Home [in the Hereafter] - 38:46). The Holy Qur'an has used
the word, 'mukhlasin' for some particular prophets which means 'chosen'.
This peculiar way of guidance has been mentioned in the first sentence of
the present verse which says, ◌ٌاللّهُ يَجْتَبِىُ إِلَيْهِ مَن يَّشَاء "Allah chooses [and pulls]
towards Himself anyone He wills." This method of instruction is
exceptional and limited. The other method which is general for getting
guidance is that when someone turns towards Allah and intends to follow
His 'din', then Allah Almighty guides him towards His 'din'. This way of
guidance is referred to in the second sentence of the verse which says,
".and guides anyone who turns to Him ... " وَيَهْدِىُ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ يُنِيُبُ
The reason why the mushrikin (polytheists) of Makkah found it
difficult to accept the invitation towards the faith in Oneness of Allah is
that they did not even have the intention of understanding and following
the truth.
And they were not divided, in jealousy with) وَمَا تَفَرَّقُوا إِلاَّ مِنُ بَعُدِ مَاجَآءَهُمُ الْعِلُمُ
each other, but after knowledge had come to them - 42:14). Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas see has explained that the pronoun 'they' in this sentence refers to
the Quraysh of Makkah, and thus he has taken the verse to mean that
the aversion of the infidels of Quraysh to the straight path was in itself a
matter of utter ignorance, but on top of it they did so even after
knowledge had been imparted by Allah. Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas has held
the coming of the Messenger of Allah af who was the source of all Divine
knowledge, to be the imparting of knowledge by Allah. Some scholars,

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Surah Shura : 42 : 13 - 15
however, have referred the pronoun 'they' towards the past ummahs, and
held the meaning to be that the people of the bygone ummahs created
dissension in the true faith of their respective prophets, and adopted
separate ways despite their having received the knowledge of the stright
path from then prophets Skal.
Be that as it may, the pagans of Makkah and the infidels of the early
ages, both demanded that their prophets should also follow the
misguidance they themselves had adopted. Therefore the Holy Prophet
has been addressed in the following verse as follows:
فَلِذْلِكَ فَادْعُ ◌ٌ وَاسْتَقِمُ كَمَا أُمِرْتَ ، وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُ أَهُوَآءَهُمُ ◌ٌ وَقُلُ امَنُتُ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ
مِنْ كِتْبٍ وَأُمِرْتُ لِأَعْدِلَ بَيْنَكُمُ ﴿ اَللَّهُ رَبَّا وَرَبُّكُمْ ﴿ لَنَآ أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمُ طـ
لاَحُجَّةَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ ﴿ اللّهُ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَاٌ وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيْرُ
"So, (O prophet,) towards that (faith) invite (people), and be
steadfast as you are commanded, and do not follow their desires,
and say, "I believe in whatever book Allah has sent down. And I
have been ordered to do justice among you. Allah is our Lord
and your Lord. For us are our deeds, and for you, your deeds.
There is no argumentation between us and you. Allah will bring
us together, and to Him is the final return." (42:15)
Hafiz Ibn Kathir has stated that this verse comprises ten sentences,
and each sentence carries a specific order. As such, ten types of precepts
are stated in this one verse. No other verse in the entire Qur'an has this
peculiarity, except 'Ayat-ul-kursiyy which comprises ten types of precepts
as well.
The first order 30 Sjut (So, O Prophet, towards that faith invite
people) means: 'Although your call towards 'tauhid' (Oneness of Allah)
sits very heavy on the polytheists, it is no cause for you to give up your
invitational call, and you should continue with it.
The second order ◌َوَاسْتَقِمُ كَمَا أُمِرُت (and be steadfast as you are
commanded) says, 'You yourself ought to stand firm in the religion
towards which you are inviting other people. This firmness has to be in
accordance with the command of Allah, that is, to be on the moderate side
in your beliefs, deeds, morals, habits and social behavior - there should
not be even the slightest inclination towards the extremes of ifrat
(overdoing something) or tafrit (falling short in something). Obviously

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Surah Shura : 42 : 13 - 15
such a firmness is not easy. That is why when some noble companions s
pointed out to the Holy Prophet that some of hairs have turned grey,
he said, "Surah Hud has turned me old." This very order (of standing
firm as commanded) has been given in Surah Hud also in the same very
words. (The meaning of standing firm, the difficulties in observing it and its
importance are discussed in detail in the commentary on Surah Hud on page 673 of
volume 4 of Ma'ariful Qur'an).
The third command ◌ْوَلاَ تَتْبِعُ أَهُوَاءَهُم (do not follow their desires - )
directs the Holy Prophet not to be concerned about the opposition of
any opponent in his duty of propagation.
The fourth command ◌ِقُلُ مَنْتُ بِمَآ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ مِنْ كِتاب (and say "I believe in
whatever book Allah has sent down") is to announce that the Holy
Prophet g believes not only in the Book that has been revealed to him,
but he believes in all the former divine books.
The fifth command ◌ْأُمِرُتُ لاَعُدِلَ بَيْنَكُم (I have been ordered to do justice
among you) apparently relates to doing justice in the matters of dispute
brought to him. But some exegetes have taken the meaning of 'adl' to be
'equality' and thus have taken the sentence to mean that he should treat
all the commands of religion equally by believing in all the prophets el,
in all the Books and by obeying all the Divine laws without any
exception.
The sixth sentence & M is 'Allah is our Lord and you Lord.' which
means that all of us are nourished by Allah.
The seventh sentence ◌ْلَنَا أَعُمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُم (For us are our deeds and
for you, your deeds) states that our deeds would be for us only and you
would neither gain nor lose due to our deeds, and your deeds would be for
you only and we would neither gain nor lose due to your deeds. Some
exegetes have stated that this verse was revealed in Makkah before the
command for jihad with non-muslims was revealed; the verses conveying
the command for jihad have cancelled this command, because the essence
of jihad is to subjugate those people by fighting who do not accept the
advice and exhortation - not to let them remain in the state of kufr. And
some exegetes have stated that this command has not been cancelled;
what it means is that since the truth has been proved through logical
arguments, its non-acceptance can only be due to enmity and obstinacy,

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Surah Shura : 42 : 16 - 18
and as such, everybody is responsible for his own deeds . (Qurtubi)
The eight command ◌ْلَاحُجَّةً بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُم (there is no argumentations
between us and you - ) is that since the disbelievers do not accept the
truth, despite its having been proved, which demonstrates their enmity,
therefore, further discussion is useless and now there would be no more
arguments between the Holy Prophet 5 and the disbelievers.
The ninth sentence اللهُ يَجْمُعُ بَيْننا (Allah will bring us together - )
states that on the Day of Judgment, Allah Almighty would gather all of
us together and would requite every deed.
The tenth declaration ◌ُوَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِير (and to Him is the final return - ) is
that all of us would return to Him.
Verses 16 - 18
وَالَّذِيْنَ يُحَآجُّونَ فِى اللّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِمَا اسْتُجِيْبَ لَهُ حُجَّتُهُمْ دَاحِضَةٌ
عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ وَّلَهُمُ عَذَابٌ شَدِيُّدٌ ﴿١٦﴾ اللّهُ الَّذِىُّ
أَنْزَلَ الْكِتْبَ بِالْحَقِّ وَالْمِيْزَانَ * وَمَا يُدُرِيُكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ قَرِيْبٌ
﴿١٧) يَسْتَعْجِلُ بِهَا الَّذِيْنَ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِهَاء وَالَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوا مُشْفِقُوْنَ
مِنْهَا ا وَيَعْلَمُوْنَ أَنَّهَا الْحَقُّ ء آلَّ إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يُمَارُوُنَ فِى السَّاعَةِ لَفِىُ
ضَلْلٍ بَعِيْدٍ ﴿١٨﴾
And those who argue about Allah after He has been
responded to1, their argument is void in the sight of
their Lord, and upon them is wrath, and for them is a
severe punishment. [16] Allah is the One who has sent
down the Book with truth, and the Balance as well. And
what can let you know? May be, the Hour is near. [17]
Those who do not believe in it demand for its coming
soon, and those who believe are fearful of it, and know
it to be a truth. Be aware that those who dispute
concerning the Hour are wandering afar from the right
path. [18]
[1]. i.e. after many people responded to the call of His prophets by accepting Islam.

681
Surah Shura : 42 : 16 - 18
Commentary
In the previous verses, all the people of the whole world had been
invited towards the original 'din' (religion) common between all the
revealed Books and between all the prophets Sell, and were advised to be
faithful to it and be steadfast in it. But some infidels, who had no
intention of listening and accepting, started arguing with the Muslims,
even at this invitation. Some narrations have it that some people of the
Book, the Jews and the Christians, put forward the argument that our
prophet came before yours and our Book was given before yours, hence
our religion is superior to yours. And some narrations have it that this
very argument was put forward by the infidels of Quraysh, because they
called themselves followers of the religion of Sayyidna Ibrahim al.
The Noble Qur'an has warned these people that the explanations and
proofs in favour of Islam and Qur'an have been fully provided to you, and
your own sensible and fair minded people, having accepted them, have
embraced Islam, and now their argumentation is nothing but falsehood
and misguidance. If they do not accept it, then divine punishment will
visit them. This warning is followed by the statement that the Qur'an is
from Allah and contains comprehensive commandments regarding Allah's
rights and the rights of the human beings between one another. This fact
is stated in the next sentence, ◌َأَنْزَلَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ وَالْمِيزَان "has sent down the Book
with truth and the Balance as well - 17." Here 'the Book' means the
Qur'an, and all the previous revealed Books, and 'truth' means the divine
religion mentioned above, and 'the Balance' literally means a weighing
balance. Since it is an instrument of weighing one's due and establishing
justice, Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4ce has taken it to mean 'equity' and 'justice'.
Mujahid 400 a leading exegete, has said that here the 'Balance' means full
payment of everyone's rights and doing justice. As such the word 'truth'
points towards Allah's rights over His servants, and the word of mizan
(Balance) points towards the rights of human beings over one another.
The statement that those who believe are fearful of the Doomsday
means the fear generated due to cognizance of the awesome horrifying
happenings which will take place on the Doomsday, and also due to
cognizance of one's own short comings and wrong-doings. However,
sometimes a believer's eagerness to meet his Lord Allah Almighty
overcomes that fear, which does not contradict this statement; some dead

682
Surah Shura : 42 : 19 - 20
ones are proved to have said in their graves that they wish Doomsday
would come soon because the glad tidings given by angels that they
would be forgiven and treated kindly, had overcome the fear of
Doomsday.
Verses 19 - 20
اللَّهُ لَطِيْفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ، وَهُوَالْقَوِىُّ الْعَزِيْزُ ﴿١٩﴾ مَنْ
كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرُثَ الْآخِرَةِ نَزِدُ لَهُ فِى حَرُئِهِ وَمَنْ کَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرُثَ
الدُّنْيَا نُؤْتِهِ مِنْهَا وَمَا لَهُ فِى الْآخِرَةِ مِنْ نَصِيْبٍ ﴿٢٠﴾
Allah is kind to His slaves. He gives provision to whom
He wills. And He is the Strong, the Mighty. [19] Whoever
intends (to have) the harvest of the Hereafter, We will
increase in his harvest; and whoever intends (to have)
the harvest of the world (only), We will give him
thereof, while in the Hereafter there is no share for
him. [20]
Commentary
Allah is kind to His slaves - 42:19). The word, latif used in) اللّهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهٍ
the text has more than one lexical meanings. Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas cee
has translated it here as kind, and Sayyidna 'Ikrimah 4ce has translated
it as benefactor.
Mugatil des has said that Allah Almighty is kind to all His servants, so
much so that even the infidels and sinners keep on being showered with
His worldly blessings. There are many types and kinds of the divine
bounties, graces and favours showered upon His servants. That is why
many meanings of the word latif have been stated in the Tafsir of
Qurtubi, all of which are covered by the words 'kind' and 'benefactor'.
Although Allah Ta'ala provides sustenance to all His creatures
without any exception - even to those animals on land and in waters
whom nobody knows, yet the present verse states that He provides
sustenance 'to whom He wills'. This is better understood from the
explanation given in Tafsir Mazhari which says that there are countless'
types and kinds of sustenance provided by Allah Ta'ala; sustenance as
necessary is provided to all and sundry, whereas some special kinds of

683
Surah Shura : 42 : 21 - 23
sustenance are distributed by Him in degrees and quantities determined
by His perfect wisdom. Somebody is given more of wealth and goods,
somebody is given more of health and strength, somebody is given more of
learning and knowledge and somebody is given more of other types and
kinds; in this way everybody is dependent on another person and it is this
dependence which persuades people to co-operate with and help each
other and which is the foundation of human civilization.
Jafar Ibn Muhammad رحمه الله تعالى has said that Allah Ta'ala's
kindness to His servants in the matter of sustenance is in two ways.
Firstly, He provides food and other necessities to every living being as per
his needs, and secondly, He does not provide sustenance for anyone for
the whole of his life all at once, rather gives him gradually according to
his need, otherwise its preservation would not have been feasible.
(Mazharī, Qurțubī)
Note
Shah 'Abdul Ghani Phulpuri رحمه الله تعالى relates from Haji Imdadullah
اللهُ لَطِيُفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ .that anyone who recites the above verse i.e رحمه الله تعالى
seventy times every morning regularly, would be يَّشَآءُ وَهُوَ الْقَوِىُّ الْعَزِيْزُ
preserved from shortage of sustenance and said that experience has
shown it to be very effective.
Verses 21 - 23
أَمُ لَهُمْ شُرَكَوُا شَرَعُوا لَهُمْ مِّنَ الدِّيْنِ مَالَمْ يَأْذَرُ بِهِ اللّهُ ، وَلَوْلاَ
كَلِمَةُ الْفَصُلِ لَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمُ ﴿ وَإِنَّ الظُّلِمِيْنَ لَهُمُ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ ﴿٢١﴾
تَرَى الظُّلِمِيْنَ مُشْفِقِيْنَ مِمَّا كَسَبُوا وَهُوَ وَاقِعٌ بِهِمْ * وَالَّذِيْنَ امَنُوْا
وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِخْتِ فِىُ رَوْضْتِ الجَنَّتِ ، لَهُمُ مَّايَشَاءُوْنَ عِنْدَ
رَبِّهِمُ، ذلِكَ هُوَ الْفَضُلُ الْكَبِيْرُ ﴿٢٢﴾ ذلِكَ الَّذِىُ يُبَشِّرُ اللهُ عِبَادَهُ
الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِحْتِ ، قُلْ لاَّ أَسْئَلُكُمُ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلاَّ
الْمَوَدَّةَ فِى الْقُرْبِى ◌ُ وَمَنْ يَّفْتَرِفُ حَسَنَةٌ نَّزِدُ لَهْ فِيُهَا حُسُنَّاء إِنَّ اللّهُ
غَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ ﴿٢٣﴾

684
Surah Shura : 42 : 21 - 23
Is it that they have associate-gods who have prescribed
for them a religion that is not sanctioned by Allah?
And, had it not been for a decisive word, the matter
would have been decided between them (here in this
world). And of course, for the wrongdoer there is a
painful punishment (in the Hereafter). [21] You will see
the wrongdoers fearful of what they earned, and (the
punishment) it (entails) is sure to befall them. As for
those who believed and did righteous deeds, they will be
in meadows of the Gardens. For them there is, with
their Lord, whatever they wish. That is the great
bounty. [22] That is the good news that Allah gives to
His slaves who believed and did righteous deeds. Say, "I
do not ask you any fee for it, except the love of kinship."
And whoever performs a good act, for him We will
increase goodness therein. Surely Allah is
Most-Forgiving, Very Appreciative. [23]
Commentary
,Say, "I do not ask you any fee for it) قُلُ لاَّ أَسْئَلُكُمُ عَلَيْهِ اَجُرًا إِلاَّ الْمَوَدَّةَ فِى الْقُرُنى
except the love of kinship - 42:23 ). The explanation of this verse that has
been adopted by most of the exegetes is that the Holy Prophet g has
been directed to say the following to the infidels of Quraish, "My real right
over all of you is that I am the Messenger of Allah, and you should admit
it and obey me for your reformation and betterment; but even if you do
not accept my prophethood and messengership, there is still one more
right I have over you which you cannot deny; and that is the right of
relationship which I have with most of your tribes. You also do not deny
the right of relatives and the need of behaving kindly towards them.
Therefore, I am not asking you for any compensation for my preaching;
all I want is that you should consider my right of being you relative, and
refrain from animosity and hostility, irrespective of whether you accept
what I am saying or you do not."
Now it is obvious that consideration of the rights of kinship was their
own obligation, and could not be taken as compensation for preaching
services. Hence the use of the word 'except' in this verse is in its idiomatic
sense meaning that although, in reality, it is no compensation, and if you
consider it to be so, it is your own mistake. In fact, I do not charge any fee
at all. However, I ask you to refrain from the hostile behavior, and to
fulfill the rights of kinship which you should do any way.

685
Surah Shura : 42 : 21 - 23
This explanation of this verse is reported from Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas
in the Şahin of Bukhari and Şahin of Muslim; Mujahid, Qatadah and
a very large group of leading exegetes have also adopted this explanation.
All prophets & in every age have openly told their people that they
never asked any compensation or payment in lieu of the efforts that they
were making for their betterment and well-being; Their compensation
would be given by Allah Almighty only. This being so, how could the chief
of all the prophets , who is the most honoured and exalted of all of
them, ask for compensation from his people.
Said Ibn Mansur, Ibn Sa'd, 'Abd Ibn Humaid, Hakim and Baihaqi
have related an incident of Imam Sha'bi, which has been certified by
Hakim to be correct, that Imam Sha'bi was questioned by people
regarding the explanation of this verse, and thereupon he wrote to
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4ee for the correct explanation. The reply he got was
the same as explained above. Those interested may consult Tafsir
Ruh-ul-Ma'ani for the full text of the reply given by Ibn 'Abbas de. Some
words of his reply are added in the report of Ibn Jarir which may be
found in the same book.
There is, however, another narration reported with a weak chain of
reporters, according to which Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas " says that when
this verse was revealed, people asked the Holy Prophet & as to who are
his kinsfolk, and he replied that Sayyidna 'All 4%, Sayyidah Fatimah )
Que AUl and their offspring's. The authenticity of this narration has been
considered weak by Suyuți in Ad-Dur-ul-Manthur and by Hafiz Ibn
Hajar in Takhrij of the Ahadith of Kashshaf. According to this narration,
the meaning would be that the only compensation the Holy Prophet 5
asks from the ummah for his services is that they should take care of his
progeny. Obviously, this proposition does not befit the high stature of
prophets &l, and specially that of the Holy Prophet %. Therefore the
correct and preferred explanation which is generally favoured by the
ummah is the one given above. But the Shi'ites have not only adopted
this doubtful narration, but have also made up a huge stock of baseless
presumptions on its basis.
Respect and Love for the Holy Prophet's _ family and progeny
The explanation given above is to clarify that the Holy Prophet did
not ask his people to respect and love his progeny in exchange of his

686
Surah Shura : 42 : 21 - 23
services. But it does not mean that the respect and love for the Holy
Prophet's @ progeny has no importance. Only an ill-fated, misguided
person can think of such a thing. The fact is that one's being a Muslim
depends on having reverence and love for the Holy Prophet z much
صَلىالله
more than any other person in the whole universe. Naturally, the logical
consequence of this reverence and love is to have reverence and love for
his close relatives according to the degree of their closeness to the Holy
Prophet & which is obligatory for every Muslim. Since one's children are
the closest relations, hence the reverence and love for the children of the
Holy Prophet
is undoubtedly a necessary element of faith. But it does
رضى الله عنهن اجمعين not mean that one should ignore or forget the pure wives
or other noble Companions e who had manifold associations, closeness
and relationships with the Holy Prophet.
The gist is that love for the progeny and for the family members of the
Holy Prophet
has never been a matter of controversy in the ummah. it
has been taken by the entire ummah unanimously as an essential
requirement of faith. Controversies arise when the reverence of others is
attacked, otherwise reverence and love for even common descendents of
the Holy Prophet g, known as sadat, no matter how distantly related to
him, is an honour for a Muslim and is a source of reward in the Hereafter.
Since many people started neglecting it, Imam Shafi'I gles alas,
denounced this attitude in a few couplets reproduced below:
واهتف بساكن خيفها والناهض
ياراكبًا قف بالمحصّب من منِّى
فيضًا كملتطم الفرات الفائض
سحرًا إِذا فاضَ الحَجيج الى منّى
فليشهد الثقلان انّى رافضى
إن كان رفضًا حُبُّ الِ محمَّدٌ
"O rider! Halt near the valley of Muhassab in Mina, and when
the sea of Hajj pilgrims advances in quick waves towards Mina
in the morning, announce to every passer-by and inhabitant of
the area that if only the love of the progeny of the Holy Prophet
HE is rifd (extreme Shi'ism), then I ask all the jins and humans
of this universe to witness that I am also a rafidi (staunch
Shỉ ah)"
This statement of Imam Shafif, in fact, is the standpoint of the whole
ummah.

687
Surah Shura : 42 : 24 - 26
Verses 24 - 26
أَمْ يَقُوْلُوُنَ افْتَرِى عَلىَ اللّهِ كَذِّبَّاتٍ فَإِنُ يَّشَا اللهُ يَخْتِمُ عَلى قَلْبِكَ،
وَيَمْحُ اللَّهُ الْبَاطِلَ وَيُحِقُّ الْحَقَّ بِكَلِمْتِهِ * إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوُرِ
﴿٢٤﴾ وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَقْبَلُ التَّوْبَةَ عَنُ عِبَادِهِ وَيَعْفُوْا عَنِ السَّاتِ
وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٢٥﴾ وَيَسْتَجِيبُ الَّذِيْنَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصُّلِحتِ
وَيَزِيُدُهُمُ مِّنْ فَضْلِهٍ ﴿ وَالْكُفِرُوْنَ لَهُمُ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ ﴿٢٦﴾
Is it that they say, "He has forged a lie against Allah"?
So, if Allah wills, He may put a seal on your heart.1 And
Allah blots out falsehood and establishes truth with
His words. Surely, He is fully aware of what lies in the
hearts. [24] And He is the One who accepts repentance
from His slaves, and forgives evil deeds, and knows
whatever you do. [25] And He responds to (the prayer of)
those who believe and do righteous deeds, and gives
them more out of His grace. As for the disbelievers, for
them there is a severe punishment. [26]
Commentary
The first verse conveys Allah Almighty's reply to those who held the
prophethood and messengership of the Holy Prophet to be false, the
Qur'an to be wrong and forged. The the reply is based on a divine rule
that miracles or events occurring against normal course which cannot be
performed by ordinary human beings are created and shown through
prophets, by Allah Almighty's Grace, to prove their prophethood, without
any discretion of the prophets themselves.
Although some magicians also do perform such magical tricks, but
obviously neither the prophets nor the magicians can perform any of
these things without Allah Almighty's intent and scheme. He allows the
magicians to perform their tricks as a measure of test and trial. However,
1. It means that the miraculous Qur'an recited by the unlettered Prophet & is in itself
a clear proof of its being revealed by Allah Ta'ala. Allah's practice is such that if a
person falsely claims to be a prophet, He does not let him show any miracle.
Therefore, had there been, God forbid, something forged by the Holy Prophet 5 in
the Qur'an, Allah would have put a seal on his heart, and he would have never been
able to come up with such a miraculous discourse.

688
Surah Shura : 42 : 24 - 26
to differentiate between magic and miracle and between a magician and a
prophet, the rule devised by Him is that no false claimant of prophethood
can perform any magical trick successfully; magical tricks can be
performed successfully by one until he claims prophethood, but the magic
vanishes as soon as one lays a false claim of prophethood.
When Allah Ta'ala bestows prophethood and messengership on
anyone, He also favours him with miracles and makes those miracles
highly visible. Thus He provides physical and decreed proof of his
prophethood. And He also confirms him in His Divine Book.
In view of this rule, it should be understood that the Noble Qur'an is
such a miracle that all the humans and all the jins of this world are
unable to produce even one verse comparable to the verse of the Qur'an.
Their inability to do so was proved in the days of the Holy Prophet & and
continues till today. Such an open and obvious miracle cannot be
accomplished by a false claimant of prophethood. The Holy Prophet's
claim to 'wahy' and messengership is, therefore, correct and true, and
those who hold it to be incorrect and forged are misguided calumniators.
The deniers and opponents have been advised in the second verse
that there is still time to give up and renounce their disbelief and 'kufr'.
Allah is very merciful and Most Beneficent; He accepts the repentance of
those who truly repent, and forgives their sins.
The Reality of 'Taubah' (Repentence)
The literal meaning of 'taubah' is to return and turn to; in religious
terminology, giving up and renunciation of any sin is called 'taubah'.
There are three conditions for its being proper and genuine.
One is to give up, immediately, the sin one is involved in. The second
is to repent for the past sin, and the third is to determine firmly not to
commit it in future. If it pertains to neglect of any obligatory duty (fard),
one has to start observing it or start offering 'qada"(prescribed
compensation). If it relates to the rights of another person and if that
right is monetary or material and the concerned person is alive, then the
material or money has to be returned to him, unless he agrees to forgo,
and if that person is not alive, but his heirs are available, then the
material or money has to be returned to the heirs; if the heirs are also not
available, then the material or money has to be deposited in the Islamic

689
Surah Shura : 42 : 27 - 35
public treasury (bait-ul-mal) - if there is no public treasury, or it is not
managed properly, then the material or money has to be given as alms on
his behalf. If the right owed to another person is not monetary or
material, for example, if another person has been distressed unduly, or he
has been abused or his backbiting has been committed, then he has to be
pleased and forgiveness has to be sought and obtained from him or her.
It is important to note that for all kinds of 'taubah', giving up of sin
must be for the sake of Allah, and not due to any physical inability or
weakness. The 'Shari'ah' demands that one ought to renounce all the
sins, but if someone renounces only a particular sin, Ahl-us-Sunnah hold
that that particular sin would be forgiven, whereas his liability for other
sins would continue.
Verses 27 - 35
وَلَوْ بَسَطَ اللَّهُ الرِّزْقَ لِعِبَادِهِ لَبَغَوْا فِى الْأَرْضِ وَلَكِنْ يَُّزِّلُ بِقَدَرٍ
مَّايَشَآءُ﴿ إِنَّهُ بِعِبَادِهِ خَبِيرٌ بَصِيْرٌ ﴿٢٧﴾ وَهُوَ الَّذِىُ يُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ مِنْ
"بَعُدٍ مَا قَنَطُوا وَيَنْشُرُ رَحْمَتَهْ وَهُوَ الْوَلِىُّ الْحَمِيُدُ ﴿٢٨﴾ وَمِنْ ايْتِهِ
خَلْقُ السَّمُوتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَابَثَّ فِيْهِمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ ﴾ وَهُوَ عَلَى
جَمْعِهِمْ إِذَا يَشَاءُ قَدِيْرٌ ﴿٤﴾ وَمَآ أَصَابَكُمْ مِّنْ مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتُ
أَيْدِيْكُمُ وَيَعْفُوا عَنْ كَثِيرٍ ﴿.ٌ﴾ وَمَآ أَنْتُمْ بِمُعُجِزِيْنَ فِى الْأَرُضِ صَلٍ
وَمَا لَكُمْ مِّنْ دُوْنِ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَّلِيٍّ وَّلَا نَصِيْرٍ ﴿٣١﴾ وَمِنُ انْتِهِ الْجَوَارِ
فِى الْبَحْرِ كَالَاعُلاَمِ ﴿٢﴾ إِنْ يَّشَأْ يُسُكِنِ الرِّيْحَ فَيَظْلَلُنَ رَوَاكِدَ
عَلَى ظَهُرِهٍ* إِنَّ فِىُ ذلِكَ لَايْتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُوُرِ ﴿٣٣﴾ أَوْ يُوُبِقَهُنّ
بِمَا كَسَبُوا وَيَعْفُ عَنْ كَثِيْرِ ﴿٤﴾﴾ وَيَعْلَمَ الَّذِيْنَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِىُ
أَيْتِنَاءُ مَالَهُمُ مِّنُ مَّحِيُصٍ ﴿٣٥﴾
And should Allah expand the provision for His slaves
(to its full extent), they would spread mischief on earth;
but He sends down what He wills in (due) measure.

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Surely, with regard to His slaves, He is All-Aware,
Ever-Watchful. [27] And He is the One who sends down
rain after they have lost hope, and He extends His
mercy. And He is the Guardian, Worthy of all praise.
[28] And among His signs is the creation of the heavens
and the earth and of the creatures He has spread in
them. And He is Powerful to assemble them whenever
He so wills. [29] And whatever hardship befalls you is
because of what your own hands have committed, while
He overlooks many (of your faults). [30] And you are not
able to frustrate (Him) in the earth. And, besides Allah,
you have neither someone to protect, nor someone to
help. [31] And among His signs are ships in the sea, like
mountains. [32] If He wills, He may stop the wind, so
they will stand still on its back. Surely in this, there
are signs for everyone who is ever patient, fully
grateful. [33] Or He may destroy them because of what
they earned, and may overlook many, [34] and (in such
an event) those who raise disputes in Our verses will
come to know that there is no way for them to escape.
[35]
Commentary
Sequence and background of Revelation
In these verses, Allah Almighty has given the proof of His Oneness by
pointing out to the perfection of His Wisdom through which He has tied
up the whole universe with a stable system, which is surely being
supervised by a Being who is All-Wise and All-Aware.
Allah Almighty has opened this subject by pointing towards the
economic system which He, in His Wisdom, has established in this world.
This subject bears a relationship with the previous verses wherein it had
been stated that Allah Almighty accepts the worships of the believers
which includes acceptance of their supplications as well. Here one could
get perplexed by the frequent observation that a Muslim supplicates for
some worldly need, but his objective is not met; this doubt has been
removed in the first of the above verses. The gist of the clarification is that
sometimes fulfillment of one's all desires is neither in his own interest nor
in the interest of his society. As such, if any supplication of anyone at any
time has apparently not been accepted, it would be for the sake of greater
well-being of the universe which nobody knows, except the All-knowing,
All-wise Creator. If every human being of this world is given every kind

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of sustenance and every kind of blessings, this system of the world just
cannot be managed wisely. (Tafsir Kabir)
Some narrations also corroborate that this verse was revealed about
those Muslims who used to wish that they also should get the same
wealth and opulence as was available to the infidels. Imam Baghawi
she all has reproduced the statement of Sayyidna Khabbab Ibn 'Aratt
that when they saw the wealth and opulence of Banu Quraizah, Banu
Nadir and Banu Qainuqa' (the Jewish tribes), the desire to have such
affluence welled up in their hearts also, and thereafter this verse was
revealed. And Sayyidna 'Amr Ibn Harith 4
states that some of the
companions of Suffah had expressed their desire to the Holy Prophet
that Allah Almighty may make them wealthy and this verse was revealed
thereafter. (Ruh-ul-Ma'ani, etc.)
General Abundance of Wealth in the World is cause of Tumult
However, this verse states that had every kind of sustenance and
every kind of blessing been provided abundantly to every individual of
this world, the discord and dispute between one another would have
crossed all limits, because due to abundance of wealth, nobody would be
in need of another person, nor would one be subdued by another. On the
other hand, one attribute of wealth is that greed and inordinate desire
also increase with the increase in wealth. It would necessarily have
resulted in the common use of force to get possession of another person's
property, hence disputes and fights, rebellion and other misdeeds would
have crossed all limits. That is why Allah Ta'ala, instead of providing
everybody with every kind of sustenance and every kind of blessing, has
distributed his blessings in such a way that somebody has abundance of
riches and wealth, another person is healthier and stronger than others,
yet another person is more comely and beautiful than others, and yet
another has surpassed others in knowledge and wisdom. In short,
everybody is dependent on others for one thing or another, and it is this
inter-dependence which is the foundation of civilization.
This is the meaning of ◌ُوَلكِنُ يُنَزِّلُ بِقَدَرٍ مَّا يَشَآء (but He sends down what He
wills in (due) measure - 42:27) It means that Allah has bestowed His
blessings upon the people of this world in a special way. And by stating
further on ◌ٌأنّه بِعِبَادِهِ خَبِيرٌ بَصِير (Surely, with regard to His slaves, He is
All-Aware, Ever-watchful - 42:27) it has been indicated that Allah