Indexed OCR Text

901
Surah Al-Kafirun : 109 : 1 - 6
into infinitive the verb it governs. In this Surah, the first ma is a relative
pronoun in the sense of al-ladhi, and the second ma is an infinitival
particle. Thus in verses [2 & 3] the particle is a relative pronoun and may
be paraphrased thus: 'I do not worship the deities that you worship nor do
you worship the One Whom I worship' and in verses [4 & 5] the particle is
ولا انا عابدٌ عبادتكم ولا انتم :an infinitival particle and may be paraphrased thus
sle oyals 'I will never adopt your mode or manner of worship, nor will
you adopt the manner in which I worship'. In this way, verses [2 & 3] show
that the objects of worship are different from each other, and verses [4&5]
show the differences in the modes of worship. In sum, 'neither our objects
of worship, nor our manner of worship, are commonly shared by us; they
are different.' In this way, it is seen that there is no real repetition,
because while the formal expressions might be identical or near identical,
but deeper semantic meanings are different . The mode of worship was
revealed to the Prophet by Allah
and passed on to the Muslims
through him. The pagan manner of worship is self-fabricated. Ibn Kathir
prefers this interpretation, and says that this is the exact meaning that
emanates from the credo of Islam: لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله "There is no object
worthy of worship except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah".
Only the mode and manner of worship sanctioned by Allah is credible,
and should be followed by Muslims. Ibn Kathir adds that the concluding
verse ◌ِلَكُمْ دِيْنَكُمْ وَلِىَ دِيْن (For you is your faith, and for me, my faith) yields
the sense of other verses in the Qur'an, as for instance in [10: 41]
فَإِن گذّبُوکَ
And if they belie you, say, for me, my deeds, and for فَقُلُ لِّى عَمَلِىٌ وَلَكُمُ عَمَلُكُمْ
you, your deeds and in [28:55] ◌ُلَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُم (For us, our deeds, and
for you, your deeds). Thus the sum total of the word din, according to Ibn
Kathir, refers to the 'deeds of religion' and its purport would be the same
as explicated in Bayanul-Qur'an, in that each one will be requited for his
own deeds.
Other commentators have interpreted the two sentences in a third
way. According to them, the particle is retained in both places as a
relative pronoun, and in both the sentence is taken as representing
present tense. They in fact maintain that the repetition of the two
sentences have been used as a rhetorical device and employed by
deliberate design to secure emphasis. Not every repetition is unpleasant or
meaningless, even though the same idea may be reiterated by the same

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Surah Al-Kafirun : 109 : 1 - 6
wording, as for instance in [94:5-6] فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسُرِ يُسُرًّا إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسُرِ يُسْرًا (Undoubtedly,
along with hardship there is ease. Undoubtedly, along with hardship
there is ease) Verse [6] is the repetition of verse [5] and is deliberately
reiterated to secure emphasis, as well as to reject outright the several
proposals made on different occasions. [Ibn Kathir, Ibn Jarir].
Peace Treaty with Unbelievers is Permissible in Some Cases but
not in Others
Surah Al-Kafirun dismisses out of hand the many proposals of
compromise offered by the pagans and declares dissociation from them.
But the Holy Qur'an itself has said in [8:61] وَإِنْ جَنَحُوا لِلسَّلُمِ فَاجْنَحُ لَهَا (And if
they tilt towards peace, you tilt towards it." that is, enter into peace treaty
with the infidels or pagans or non-Muslims. Moreover, when the Holy
Prophet
migrated to Madinah, he entered into peace treaty with the
Jews . Therefore, some of the commentators have opined that Surah
Al-Kafirun has been abrogated. Their basic argument pivots around the
verse ◌ِلَكُمْ دِینُكُمْ وَلِىَ دِيْن (For you is your faith, and for me, my faith). They
contend that this is apparently in conflict with the ordinances of jihad,
but this is not true, because the verse does not guarantee, nor does it even
permit, the infidels to maintain their infidelity. It simply means what is
stated in [28:55] ◌ُلَنَا أَعُمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعُمَالُكُم (For us, our deeds, and for you, your
deeds), that is, as you sow, so shall you reap. In fact, the correct position
held by the majority of the scholars is that this Surah is not abrogated.
The proposals of compromise that were offered by the pagans at the time
of the revelation of the present Surah are still prohibited, and the peace
treaties allowed by 8:61 or entered into by the Holy Prophet
are still
permissible. It is necessary to understand the circumstances and
conditions of the treaty and take a proper decision accordingly. In one of
his Traditions, the Holy Prophet
laid down the general principle of
الاصلحاً احَلّ حرامًا اوحرّم حلالاً :peace treaty with the infidels and pagans, thus
(Every compromise is permitted except the one which turns prohibited
things into lawful and lawful things into forbidden.) If the various peace
proposals made by the pagans are carefully analyzed, they were all
certainly and definitely purported to mix elements of pagan beliefs and
practices with Islamic beliefs and practices, thus creating confusion; and
in some cases they required Muslims to renounce Islam [albeit
temporarily] and commit themselves to paganism. Surah Al-Kafirun

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Surah Al-Kafirun : 109 : 1 - 6
denounces such treaties, and declares dissociation from paganism.
Analyzing the peace pact with the Jews, on the other hand, it is seen
clearly that it did not in anyway require Muslims to denounce or
renounce Islam, nor did it require them to mix elements of un-Islamic
beliefs with the true faith. Islam is the religion that stands for tolerance,
kindness, politeness and peace more than any other religion. However, all
these ethical principles can be applied in the matters of human rights.
There is no room for compromise in the matter of Divine Law or the basic
tenets of Divine religion . Allah knows best!
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Kafirun
Ends here

904
Surah An-Naşr : 110 : 1 - 3
Surah An-Naşr
(The Help)
This Surah is Madni, and it has 3 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 3
إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ اللهِ وَالْفَتْحُ ﴿٢﴾ وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُوْنَ فِىْ دِيْنِ اللهِ
أَفْوَاجًا ﴿ٌ﴾ فَسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ + إِنَّه، كَانَ تَوَّابًا
When there comes Allah's help and the Victory, [1] and
you see people entering Allah's (approved) religion in
multitudes, [2] then pronounce the purity and praise of
your Lord, and seek forgiveness from Him. Surely He is
Ever-Relenting. [3]
Name of the Surah and place of its revelation
According to the consensus of scholars, this Surah was revealed in
Madinah. Its other name is Surah At-Tawdi'. The word Tawdi' means 'to
bid farewell'. As this Surah indicates the approach of the demise of the
Holy Prophet
, it bids farewell to him and is thus entitled Surah
At-Tawdi'.
The Last Surah and the Last Verses of the Noble Qur'an
It is recorded in Şahin of Muslim on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn
'Abbas 4
that Surah An-Nasr was the last Surah to be revealed.
[Qurtubi]. This means that this was the last complete Surah that was
revealed to the Holy Prophet
. No complete Surah was revealed after
this. Some individual verses reported to have been revealed after this are
not in conflict with this statement, because no complete Surah was sent

905
Surah An-Naşr : 110 : 1 - 3
down after the present one. It is like Surah Al-Fatihah which is said to be
the first Surah, while a few verses of Surah Al-'Alaq, a few verses of
Surah Al-Muddaththir, and a few verses of other Surahs were revealed
even before Surah Al-Fatihah, because it means that it was the first
Surah to be revealed completely. No complete Surah was revealed before
Al-Fatihah.
Sayyidna Ibn 'Umar 4ee reports that this Surah was revealed during
the Farewell Pilgrimage, and shortly after that a fragment of verse [3] of
Surah [5] ◌ْاَلْيَوْمَ اكُمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِيْنَكُم ( ... Today, I have perfected your religion for
you __ [5:3]) was revealed. After these two revelations, the Messenger of
Allah lived only for eighty days, after which he passed away. After these
two revelations, the Holy Prophet
received the verse of kalalah. Then
the Holy Prophet
lived for fifty days. After that he received the
لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمُ رَسُوْلٌ مِّنُ أَنْفُسِكُمُ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَاعَنِتُّمُ [9] following verse [9:128] of Surah
(Surely, there has come to you a Messenger from amongst you , hard on
whom is your suffering, for the good of you he craves ... ) After this
revelation, he lived for 35 days. After this verse was revealed the
following verse: [2:281] ◌ِاتَّقُوا يَوْمًا تُرُجَعُونَ فِيُّهِ إِلَى اللَّه (And be fearful of a day
when you shall be returned to Allah ... ). After this verse he lived only for
twenty-one days, and according to Muqatil, he lived for seven days only
and passed away. [Qurțubi].
Verse [110:1] ◌ُإِذَاجَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْح (When there comes Allah's help and the
victory). The expression 'victory' here is in reference to 'the promised
Victory or Conquest of Makkah'. There is complete unanimity on this
historical fact. However, the scholars disagree whether this Surah was
revealed before or after the Conquest. The phrase idha ja'a [when there
comes] apparently indicates that its revelation took place before the
Conquest. Ruh-ul-Ma'ani cites a narration from Al-Bahr-ul-Muhit which
concurs with this view, in which it is stated that this Surah was revealed
while returning from the expedition of Khaibar. It is a known fact that
the victory of Khaibar took place prior to the Conquest of Makkah.
Ruh-ul-Ma'ani cites, on the authority of 'Abd Ibn Humaid, Sayyidna
Qatadah's
statement that the Prophet
lived for two years after the
revelation of this Surah. Narratives that report that it was revealed on
the occasion of the Conquest of Makkah or on the occasion of the Farewell

906
Surah An-Naşr : 110 : 1 - 3
Pilgrimage may be explained by saying that the Holy Prophet
might
have recited this Surah and proclaimed it on one of those occasions; as a
result people must have thought that it was revealed on that occasion.
Please refer to Bayanul Qur'an for fuller explanation.
Several Prophetic Traditions and statements of the Companions
narrate that this Surah indicates that the Holy Prophet
has fulfilled
his task, and accomplished his mission of life, and he could look forward to
returning to his Lord in full favor as his death was approaching fast. The
Surah teaches the Holy Prophet
the beautiful manners of asking
Allah's forgiveness and offering constant praise and thanks to his Lord.
It is reported in Muqatil's narration that when this Surah was
revealed, the Holy Prophet
recited it in a gathering of the blessed
Companions, among whom were Sayyidna Abu Bakr, 'Umar, Sa'd Ibn Abi
Waqgas . All were happy at the revelation of this Surah, because it
contained the glad tidings of the Conquest of Makkah, but Sayyidna
'Abbas 450 began to weep. The Holy Prophet
asked him the reason for
weeping, and he replied that it covertly conveys the termination of your
life and nearness of your death. The Holy Prophet
confirmed this.
Şahin of Bukhari records a similar explanation of this Surah given by
Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4 % in which there is the addition that when
Sayyidna 'Umar 4
heard this, he concurred with him and said: 'I do not
know anything about it other than what you [Ibn 'Abbas 4,e] have said'.
[Transmitted by Tirmidhi who graded it as hasan, sahih vide Qurțubi]
Verse [110:2] وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدُخُلُونَ فِىُ دِيْنِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا (And you see people entering
Allah's [approved] religion in multitudes,) Before the conquest of Makkah
there were many people who were almost convinced of the verity of the
Holy Prophet Muhammad
and Islam, but there were several factors
that were obstructing them to embrace the religion. Some people were
afraid of the Quraishite opposition, or they were hesitant for some other
reason. The Conquest of Makkah removed those obstacles, and people
entered the fold of Islam in throngs. Seven hundred people from Yemen
embraced the religion, and joined the Holy Prophet . On the way, they
recited the call to prayer [adhan ] and recited the Qur'an. In this way, the
populace of Arabia embraced the religion of Islam and entered into its fold

907
Surah An-Naşr : 110 : 1 - 3
in droves.
When the approach of death is sensed, one needs to exert oneself
immensely in Tasbih and Istighfar
Verse [110:3] ◌ُفَسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدٍ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرُه (then pronounce the purity and
praise of your Lord, and seek forgiveness from Him ... ) Sayyidah 'A'ishah
Siddiqah
says that after the revelation of this Surah, whenever the
Messenger of Allah &g performed a prayer, he would recite the following
supplication: سُبُحَانَكَ ربّنا وبحمدى اللّهُمَّ اغفرلى (I pronounce Your purity, 0
Allah, our Lord, and praise be to You, O Allah, forgive me.) [Bukhari].
Sayyidah 'Umm Salamah
says that after the revelation of this
Surah, the Messenger of Allah af used to often recite the following
supplication : ◌ِسُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمُدِهٍ اسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْه (I pronounce the purity of
Allah, and praise be to Him. I seek Allah's forgiveness and I repent to
Him.) He used to say, "I have been commanded to do so." In evidence, he
used to recite this Surah.
Sayyidna Abu Hurairah
says that after the revelation of this
Surah, the Messenger of Allah
used to exert himself in the worship of
Allah so immensely that his feet would swell. [Qurțubi].
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah An-Naşr
Ends here

908
Surah Al-Lahab : 111 : 1 - 5
Surah Al-Lahab
(The Flame)
This Surah is Makki, and it has 5 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 5
تَبَّتْ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ ﴿٢﴾ مَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ ﴿٢﴾
سَيَصُلَى نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ (ٌ﴾ وَّامْرَأْتُهْ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ ﴿أَ﴾ فِىُ
جِيْدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِّنُ مَّسَدٍ
Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he! [1]
Neither his wealth availed him, nor what he earned. [2]
He will soon enter a fire, full of flames, [3] and his wife
as well, the wicked 1 carrier of firewood. [4] In her neck
there is a rope of twisted palm-fibre. [5]
Name and Nickname of Abu Lahab
Abu Lahab [Father of Flame] was the Nickname of 'Abd-ul-'Uzza, one
of the sons of 'Abdul-Muttalib. As he was ruddy in complexion, he was
nicknamed Abu Lahab [Father of Flame]. The Qur'an did not mention his
real name, because it smacked of paganism, and the last element 'lahab'
[Flame] in the nickname has also nexus with the flame of Hell. This
person was the inveterate enemy and persecutor of the Holy Prophet 5,
and violently opposed Islam. Whenever the Holy Prophet
invited the
people to Islamic Faith, he would stand up and cry lie to his message. [Ibn
(1) The word 'wicked' is though not available in the text in express terms, the nasb on
hammalah, which is termed in Arabic grammar as 'nasb 'aladh-dhamm' carries this
meaning. (Muhammad Taqi Usmani)

909
Surah Al-Lahab : 111 : 1 - 5
Kathir]
Cause of Revelation
وَآَنْذِرُ عَشِيرَتَكَ الأَقْرَبِينَ It is recorded in the two Sahihs that when the verse
(Warn your closest relatives - 26:214) was revealed, the Holy Prophet
ascended the mount Safa and cried out to the tribe of Quraish in a
manner that was known among them for warning of an attack by the
enemy. Some narratives maintain that he called the different Makkan
clans by name, the clan of Banu 'Abd Munaf, Banu 'Abdul-Muttalib and
others. All the clans of Quraish gathered around him, and he said to
them: 'If I were to tell you that the enemy is about to attack you in the
morning or in the evening, would you believe me?' They all unanimously
replied in the affirmative. Then he said: 'Verily, I am a warner sent to you
before the coming of a severe torment (as a result of disbelief or
paganism). Abu Lahab then responded:تَبَّ لَكَ الِهِذَا جَمَعُتَنَا 'Ruin may seize
you ! Is it for this purpose that you have called us together?' and picked
up a stone to hit him. Thus this Surah was revealed.
Verse [111:1] ◌َّتَبَّتُ يَدَآ أَبِىُ لَهَبٍ وَتَب (Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab,
and perish he!) The word yad literally means a 'hand'. Because hands
play a very important role in all of human works and actions, often yad
ذلِكَ بِمَا قَدَّمَتُ يَدَاكَ hand) refers to the human person, as in the phrase)
( ... All this is due to what your hands have sent forth ... 22:10). Baihaqi has
recorded on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas uz
that one day Abu
Lahab said to the people that Muhammad
says that such-and-such a
thing will happen after death. Then, pointing to his hands, said that none
of those things have come into these hands; then he addressed his hands
and said: تَبًّا لكما ماارى فيكما شيئًا ممّا قال محمد (Perish you! I do not see any of the
things Muhammad
said in you.) Therefore, the Qur'an attributes his
destruction to his hands.
The verb tabba is derived from tabab which means 'to perish'. In verse
[1], the first sentence ◌ِتَبَّتُ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَب (Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab) is
in the form of a prayer invoking or imprecating destruction upon Abu
Lahab, and the second sentence wa tabba is the declarative sentence
prophesying the consequence of the invocation. The first sentence was
invoked against him to satisfy the indignation of the Muslims, because
when Abu Lahab imprecated destruction upon the Holy Prophet g, it
was the desire of the Muslims that imprecation be invoked against him.

910
Surah Al-Lahab : 111 : 1 - 5
Allah thus fulfilled their desire, and also informed them that the
invocation has taken effect and he perished. Seven days after the battle
of Badr, he developed a terrible case of plague because of which people
avoided him. They regarded the disease as infectious and were afraid that
it might be transmitted by contact, so they forced him to live in an isolated
house, and they did not come into contact with him at all. He at last died
in this state. His dead body lay untouched in his house for three days.
When his body began to rot giving out unbearable stench, people taunted
his sons, and they hired laborers to take it away and bury it. They dug a
pit in the ground, pushed his body into it with a stick and covered it with
stones. [Bayan-ul-Qur'an from Ruh].
Verse [111:2] ◌َمَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُه، وَمَا كَسَب (Neither his wealth availed him, nor
what he earned.) The phrase ma kasab [what he earned] could refer to
the profits that accrued to him from investment of his wealth in business,
and it could also imply 'children', for the children of a person are also
referred to (in Arabic) as his earning. Sayyidah 'A'ishah use reports that
the Messenger of Allah said:
ان اطیب ما ا کل الرّجل من کسبه وان ولده من کسبه
"The best and the purest thing a man eats is from his earnings
and his children are part of his earnings".
This means that eating from the earnings of one's children is
tantamount to eating from one's own earnings. [Qurțubi]
Therefore, Sayyidah 'A'ishah 452, Mujahid, 'Ata', Ibn Sirin and others
interpret ma kasab [what he earned] as referring to 'children'. Allah had
granted Abu Lahab abundant wealth and many children, and these two
factors led him to be ungrateful, and caused him to be proud and
arrogant. Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4ee says that when the Messenger of Allah
called his people to faith and warned them about the Divine
punishment, Abu Lahab said: "Even if what my nephew says is true, I
will save myself from the painful torment on the Day of Judgement with
مَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ، وَمَا [2] my wealth and my children." Thus Allah revealed verse
43, that is, when the Divine torment seized him in this world, neither
his wealth nor his children benefited him!
Verse [111:3] ◌ِسَيَصُلى نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَب (He will enter a fire, full of flames.) That
is, either on the Day of Judgment or immediately after his death, while in

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Surah Al-Lahab : 111 : 1 - 5
grave, he will be pushed into the blazing fire. There is a rhetorical
relationship between Abu Lahab and dhata lahab [full of flames].
The Fate of 'Umm Jamil, the Wife of Abu Lahab
Verse [111:4] وَامُرَاتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَب (And his wife as well, the wicked, the
carrier of firewood.) As Abu Lahab was a vehement enemy of the Holy
Messenger
§, his wife too was supportive of her husband in his disbelief,
rejection, obstinacy, and in persecuting the Holy Prophet 9. She was a
sister of Abu Sufyan, and daughter of Harb Ibn 'Umayyah. Her
nickname was Umm Jamil. The Qur'an makes plain in this verse that this
wretched woman will also roast with her husband in the fire of Hell. She
is described as JI duas which literally means 'the carrier of firewood'.
Idiomatically, Arabs use this expression to refer to a 'tale-bearer ', that is,
one who gathers pieces of gossip and carries them between individuals
and families in order to ignite the fires of discord and enmity between
people, exactly as one would gather firewood to kindle the fire. This
telltale woman improperly carried information concerning the private
affairs of the Messenger of Allah
5, and the blessed Companions in an
attempt to ignite and instigate trouble. In this verse too, the phrase 'the
carrier of firewood' has been interpreted by Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 4
Mujahid, 'Ikrimah dle al lagar, and a group of commentators to mean
that 'She was a tale-bearer' while Ibn Zaid, Dahak and other
commentators رحمهم الله تعالى retain it in its original sense, and explain that
she literally used to collect thorny branches from the jungle, and place
them in the path of the Messenger of Allah
in order to harm him -
hence the description: 'carrier of firewood'. [Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir].
Some scholars explain that just as she used to help her husband in
this world to promote disbelief and tyranny and to assist him in harming
the Messenger of Allah
, she will add to the torment of her husband in
the Hereafter. She will collect the branches of zaqqum and other trees
and add them as fuel to the fire of Hell in which her husband would be
roasting. [Ibn Kathir].
Tale-Bearing: A Gravely Major Sin
It is recorded in the two Sahihs that the Messenger of Allah
# is
reported to have said that a tale-bearer (to harm others) will not enter
Paradise. Fudail Ibn Iyad رحمه اللّه تعالى says that there are three evil deeds
of man that destroy all his righteous actions . They are: [1] backbiting; [2]

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Surah Al-Lahab : 111 : 1 - 5
tale-bearing; and [3] lying. 'Ata' Ibn Sa'ib رحمه الله تعالى says that he asked
Sha'bi yl Ul , about the Prophetic Tradition in which the Messenger
لا يدخل الجنّة سافك دم ولا مشّاء بنميمة ولا تاجر يربى :of Allah g is reported to have said
"Three types of people will not enter Paradise: [1] a murderer; [2] a
tale-bearer; and [3] a trader who is involved in usury." 'Ata' li Ul das
says that I cited this Tradition to Sha'bi and asked him in a surprising
tone that the Holy Prophet
has equated 'a tale-bearer' with a murderer
and a usurer. He replied: "Indeed, tale-bearing is the root cause of murder
and usurpation of wealth." [Qurțubi]
Verse [111:5] ◌ٍفِىُ جِيْدِهَا حَبُلٌ مِّنُ مَّسَد (In her neck there is a rope of twisted
palm-fibre.) The masd with the letter-s-bearing sukun [quiescence or rest]
is an infinitive which means 'to twist rope or cord, or to twist it strongly
and tightly'. If the word is read as masad with the letters m-s bearing
fatha [= a-a], the word refers to fibres. It is also a rope made of 'twisted
fibres of palm tree' or 'tightly braided fibres of coconut tree' or 'cord that
has been woven strongly' or 'coil or cable formed by winding iron strands
together'. [al-Qamus]. Some scholars have preferred to translate it
specifically as 'a rope made of twisted fibres of palm tree' and no other
string or twine. This is in conformity with the general usage of the Arabs.
Basically, it refers to any string or twine or rope or cord or coil or cable
formed by intertwining strands of any material. In keeping with this
general sense of the word, Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas 40, 'Urwah Ibn Zubair
and others said that in this context the phrase ' ' "rope of
masad" refers to 'rope formed by twisting iron strands'. This will be her
condition in Hell where an iron-collar will be in her neck. Sayyidna
Mujahid 4
interprets min masad as min hadid, that is, 'of iron'.
[Mazharī].
Sha'bi, Mugatil and other commentators have taken the phrase min
masad to refer to 'a rope made of twisted fibres of palm tree' and said that
Abu Lahab and his wife were extremely wealthy and were looked upon as
leaders of their nation but, on account of his wife's mean disposition and
miserliness, she used to collect firewood from the jungle, bind them
together with a rope, place the bundle on her head and put its rope round
her neck, so that it might not fall from her head. This practice of hers one
day led to her destruction. She had a bundle of wood on her head and the
rope in her neck. She felt tired and sat down. Then fell, was choked and

913
Surah Al-Lahab : 111 : 1 - 5
died. According to this second interpretation, the verse describes her mean
disposition and the disastrous consequences of her sadistic behavior.
[Mazhari]. However, such a conduct in Abu Lahab's family, especially of
his wife, was hardly conceivable; therefore, most commentators have
preferred the first interpretation. Allah knows best!
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Lahab
Ends here

914
Surah Al-Ikhlaş : 112 : 1 - 4
Surah Al-Ikhlaş
(The Sincerity)
This Surah is Makki, and it has 4 verses
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 4
قُلُ هُوَ اللهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿٢﴾ اللّهُ الصَّمَدُ ﴿٢﴾ لَمْ يَلِدُ لا وَلَمُ يُوْلَّدُ ﴿٣٠﴾ وَلَمُ
يَكُنُ لَّه، كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
Say, "The truth is: Allah is One. [1] Allah is Besought of
all, needing none. [2] He neither begot anyone, nor was
begotten. [3] And equal to Him has never been any one."
[4]
Cause of Revelation
Tirmidhi, Hakim and others have recorded that the pagans of
Makkah asked the Messenger of Allah : "O Muhammad! Tell us about
the ancestry of your Lord." So Allah revealed this Surah. Some narratives
ascribe this inquiry to the Jews of Madinah. In view of these conflicting
reports, there is a divergence of opinion as to whether this is a Makki
Surah or Madani Surah. According to Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud
, Hasan Basri, 'Ata', 'Ikrimah and Jabir 4
›, the Surah is Makki and,
according to Qatadah, Dahhak es and others, it is Madani. According to
one narration of Sayyidna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas 4%, it is Makki and,
according to another, it is Madani [Qurțubi].
According to another narration, the pagans added to their question
whether Allah was made of gold, silver or some other stuff, in response to
which this Surah was revealed.

915
Surah Al-Ikhlaş : 112 : 1 - 4
Virtues of the Surah
Imam Ahmad has recorded a narration in his Musnad that a person
came up to the Messenger of Allah
and said, "I love this Surah
[Al-Ikhlas] immensely." The Holy Prophet
" replied: "Your love for it will
cause you to enter Paradise." [Ibn Kathir].
Tirmidhi has recorded on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah
that once the Messenger of Allah
asked the people to gather and said:
"I shall recite to you a third of the Qur'an?" When the people had
congregated, he recited Surah Al-Ikhlas and said: "This is equal to a third
of the Qur'an." [Muslim].
In a lengthy Hadith, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Nasa'i have recorded
that the Messenger of Allah
said: "Anyone who recites Surah Al-Ikhlas
and the mu'awwadhatain (i.e. the last two surahs of the Holy Qur'an)
morning and evening, they shall be sufficient for him." In another
narration, the wordings are: "They will suffice him against every
affliction."]. [Ibn Kathir]
Imam Ahmad has recorded a narration in his Musnad on the
authority of Sayyidna 'Uqbah Ibn 'Amir
that the Messenger of Allah
said: "I shall show you three such Surahs that are revealed in Torah,
Injil, Zabur and the Qur'an. Do not sleep at night until such time that
you have recited them. They are Surah Al-Ikhlas and the
mu'awwadhatain." Sayyidna 'Uqbah Ibn 'Amir 4ge says that since I have
heard this, I did not miss reciting them. [Ibn Kathir].
Oneness of Allah
Verse [112:1] ◌ٌقُلُ هُوَاللّهُ أَحَد Say, (The truth is: Allah is One.) The
imperative qul (Say) is directly addressed to the Holy Prophet
Muhammad g, thus indicating that he is Allah's Prophet and
Messenger. This verse directs and commands him to convey Allah's
message to mankind. 'Allah' is the personal name of that Necessary Being
Whose non-existence is inconceivable. He comprises all the attributes of
perfection and is free from, or above, or overrides all kinds of
imperfections. The epithets ahad and wahid are both applied to Allah
which are normally translated as 'One' but the word ahad includes an
additional sense which signifies that Allah is beyond composition,
plurality and resemblance, which means that He is neither composed of

916
Surah Al-Ikhlaş : 112 : 1 - 4
any elements, nor does He have any partner, nor has He any
resemblance to anything. This is a response to those who asked about
Allah whether He is made of gold or silver or pearls. This concise
statement covers all aspects of discussion on the Divine Being and His
attributes. The imperative qul [say] points to the messengership of the
Holy Prophet
If analyzed properly, this brief sentence covers all the
detailed discussions expounded in voluminous books of theology.
Verse [112:2] & AU (Allah is Besought of all, needing none) The word
samad bears several literal senses. Therefore, the Qur'anic exegetical
scholars have assigned different meanings to this verse. Țabarani , the
leading authority on Prophetic Traditions, in his kitab-us-Sunnah, has
collected all the interpretations of the Divine attribute As-samad and
concluded that they are all authentic, and comprehend all the attributes
of our Lord that have been assigned to Him, but originally it refers to 'the
chief who has no superior and to whom the people turn for the fulfilment
of their desires and needs; thus all people depend on him, but he does not
depend on any one.' [Ibn Kathir].
Allah is Above having Children and Procreating
Verse [112:3] ◌ُلَمْ يَلِدُ وَلَمْ يُوْلَد (He neither begot anyone, nor was begotten.)
This verse responds to those who had questioned about the ancestry of
Allah. There is no analogy between Allah, the Creator, and His creation.
While His creation comes into being through the biological process of
procreation, Allah Himself has no children, nor is He the child of anyone.
Verse [4] ◌ٌوَلَمْ يَكُنُ لَه، كُفُوًا أَحَد (And equal to Him has never been any one.)
The word kufuwan, as used in the original, means an 'example', a 'similar
thing', 'one equal in rank and position'. Thus this verse means that there
is no one in the entire universe, nor ever was, nor ever can be, who is
similar to Allah, or equal in rank with Him, or resembling Him in His
attributes, works and powers in any degree whatsoever.
Surah Al-Ikhlaş: A Comprehensive Concept of Allah's Oneness
and a complete Negation of Shirk
There were many types of people who denied the Divine Oneness, and
set up partners or rivals to Allah. Surah Al-Ikhlas negates all types of
such wrong belief systems, and imparts a comprehensive lesson of Divine
Oneness. Among the unbelievers, several types may be identified. There

917
Surah Al-Ikhlaş : 112 : 1 - 4
is a group that denies the very existence of God [the atheists]. Another
group believes in the existence of God, but denies that His existence is
'Necessary'. A third group believes in God's existence and in His existence
as 'Necessary' but denies His attributes of perfection. A fourth group
believes in God's Necessary Existence and in His attributes of perfection,
but denies Oneness of God and believes in and worship more than one
gods and goddesses, and thus practices polytheism. Verse [1] refutes
vehemently all such false belief systems. Verse [2] refers to the practices
of those who do worship Allah alone, but believe that there are also other
helpers who can fulfil their needs, desires and ambitions. The Divine
attribute As-samad denounces outright any such notion. A fifth group
ascribes children to Allah and the phrase lam yalid [He neither begot
anyone] repudiates this notion of theirs in the strongest terms. Allah, the
Pure and Exalted, knows best!
Alhamdulillah
The Commentary on
Surah Al-Ikhlaş
Ends here

918
Surah Al-Falaq : 113 : 1 - 5
Surah Al-Falaq
(Break of Dawn)
This Surah is Madani, and it has 5 verses
With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful
Verses 1 - 5
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ ﴿٢﴾ مِنْ شَرِّمَا خَلَقَ ﴿٢﴾ وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ
﴿ٌ﴾ وَمِنْ شَرِّالنَّفْثْتِ فِى الْعُقَدِ ﴿٤﴾ وَمِنْ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ
Say, "I seek refuge with the Lord of the daybreak [1] from the
evil of everything He has created, [2] and from the evil of the
dark night when it penetrates, [3] and from the evil of the
women who blow on the knots, [4] and from the evil of an
envier when he envies. [5]
Preliminary Remarks
This and the next Surah were revealed on the same occasion, and in
the same event, as will be explained in the 'cause of revelation'. Hafiz
Ibn-ul-Qayyim has, therefore, written their commentary together. He
writes that their blessings and benefits are abundant. All of the people
require them and no one can dispense with them. They are very
efficacious remedy for sorcery or magical spell, evil eye, and for all of the
physical and spiritual calamities. In fact, if its reality is grasped fully,
people will understand that they require it more than their breath, food,
water, clothing and everything else.
Cause of Revelation
Musnad of Ahmad records that a Jewish person cast a magical spell
on the Holy Prophet , as a result of which he fell ill. Jibra'il des came

919
Surah Al-Falaq : 113 : 1 - 5
Prophet
to him and informed him that a particular Jew had cast a spell on him,
that he had tied knots in his hair to accomplish this objective, and it is
thrown into a particular well. The Holy Prophet
sent some of his
Companions to bring it from the well Jibra'il Cal had described. The Holy
untied the knots, and he was instantly cured. Jibra'il Sel
informed him of the name of the Jew and the Holy Prophet
knew the
culprit, but it was not in keeping with his compassionate disposition to
avenge anyone in his personal matter. Therefore, this was never brought
to the attention of the Jew guilty of the black magic, nor did any sign of
complaint ever appear on the blessed face of the Holy Prophet 5. Being a
hypocrite, he regularly attended the Holy Prophet's
gatherings.
The details of this incident are recorded in Sahih of Bukhari on the
authority of Sayyidah 'A'ishah w that a Jewish man cast a magic spell
on the Holy Prophet &, as a result of which he sometimes felt confused
whether or not he had done something. One day the Holy Prophet
eg said
to Sayyidah 'A'ishah
that Allah has shown him what his illness was
and added: "Two men came to me in my dream. One of them sat by my
head side while the other sat by my feet, and the following conversation
ensued:
Question: 'What is wrong with this man?'
Answer: 'He is bewitched.'
Question: 'Who has bewitched him?'
Answer: 'Labid Ibn A'sam. He is a member of the tribe of Banu Zuraiq
who is an ally of the Jews, a hypocrite.'
Question: 'With what did he bewitch him?'
Answer: 'With a comb and hair from the comb.'
Question: 'Where is the comb?'
Answer: 'In the dried bark of a male date palm under a rock in a well
called Dharwan.' "
Sayyidah 'A'ishah de says that the Holy Prophet
went to the well
to remove the comb with the hair and said: "This is the well I was shown
in my dream." He removed it from the well. Sayyidah 'A'ishah de asked

920
Surah Al-Falaq : 113 : 1 - 5
the Holy Prophet : "Will you not make this public?" He replied: "Allah
has cured me and I hate to cause harm to anyone." This implies that the
Holy Prophet
did not want to be the cause anyone's molestation, death
or destruction, because this is what would have exactly happened if the
incident was publicised.
According to a narration in Musnad of Ahmad, this illness of the Holy
Prophet
lasted for six months. According to other narratives, some of
the Companions knew that this wicked act was performed by Labid Ibn
A'sam, and they courteously said to the Holy Prophet
: "Why should we
not kill this wicked person?" He made the same reply to them as he did to
Sayyidah 'A'ishah
According to Imam Tha'labi's narration, a Jewish
boy was the attendant of the Messenger of Allah
the hypocritical Jew
flattered the boy and talked him into getting for him strands of the
Prophet's
hair from his comb, and a few of its teeth. Having obtained
these items, he tied eleven knots on a string and a needle was stuck into
each knot. Labid then placed this spell in the spathe of a male palm tree,
and buried it under a stone in a well. On this occasion, the two Surahs
were revealed, comprising eleven verses. The Messenger of Allah
recited one verse at a time and untied one knot each time, until all the
knots were untied, and he felt freed from the tension of the witchcraft. [All
these narratives have been adapted from Ibn Kathir.]
Magic and its effect on the Holy Prophet
Some people are surprised that the Messenger of Allah
should be
affected by black magic. This is because some people do not have a
complete grasp of how magic operates. It actually operates under physical
causes, and the Messenger of Allah
₹ was not immune to the influence of
physical causes, as for instance feeling the burning or heating sensation
of fire, and feeling the cooling sensation of water; or certain natural
factors causing fever or body temperature to rise; or other factors causing
aches and pains, and other illnesses. The Holy Prophet &g, or any other
prophet for that matter, was not immune to the effects of such natural or
physical causes. They can be affected by the hidden operations of magic
which are no less natural or physical. Please see Surah Al-Baqarah, Maariful
Qur'an, Vol. 1/ pp 264-278 for fuller explanation, especially p. 276 on 'Magic and
Prophets'.