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Surah hajj In Arabic

Transliteration in English

Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem

1. Yaaa ayyuhan naasuttaqoo Rabbakum; inna zalzalatas Saa’ati shai’un ‘azeem
2. Yawma tarawnahaa tazhalu kullu murdi’atin ‘ammaaa arda’at wa tada’u kullu zaati hamlin hamlahaa wa tarannaasa sukaaraa wa  maa hum bisukaaraa wa lakinna ‘azaabal laahi shadeed
3. Wa minan naasi mai yujaadilu fil laahi bighairi ‘ilminw wa yattabi’u kullaa shaitaanim mareed
4. Kutiba ‘alaihi annahoo man tawallaahu fa annahoo yudilluhoo wa yahdeehi ilaa ‘azaabis sa’eer
5. Yaaa ayyuhan naasu in kuntum fee raibin minal ba’thi fa innaa khalaqnaakum min turaabin thumma min nutfatin thumma min ‘alaqatin thumma min mudghatin mukhallaqatinw wa ghairi mukhallaqatin linubaiyina lakum; wa nuqirru fil arhaami maa nashaaa’u ilaaa ajalin musamman thumma nukhrijukum tiflan thumma litablughooo ashuddakum wa minkum mai yutawaffa wa minkum mai yuraddu ilaaa arzalil ‘umuri likailaa ya’lama min ba’di ‘ilmin shai’aa; wa taral arda haamidatan fa izaaa anzalnaa ‘alaihal maaa’ah tazzat wa rabat wa ambatat min kulli zawjin baheej
6. Zaalika bi annal laaha Huwal haqqu wa annahoo yuhyil mawtaa wa annahoo ‘alaakulli shai’in Qadeer
7. Wa annas Saa’ata aatiya tul laa raiba feeha wa annal laaha yab’asuman fil quboor
8. Wa minan naasi mai yujaadilu fil laahi bighairi ‘ilminw wa laa hudanw wa laa Kitaabim Muneer
9. Saaniya ‘itfihee liyudilla ‘an sabeelil laahi lahoo fiddun yaa khizyunw wa nuzeequhoo Yawmal Qiyaamati ‘azaabal lhareeq
10. Zaalika bimaa qaddamat yadaaka wa annal laaha laisa bizallaamil lil’abeed(section 1)
11. Wa minan naasi mai ya’budul laaha ‘alaa harfin fa in asaabahoo khairunit maanna bihee wa in asaabat hu fitnatunin qalaba ‘alaa wajhihee khasirad dunyaa wal aakhirah; zaalika huwal khusraanul mubeen
12. Yad’oo min doonil laahi maa laa yadurruhoo wa maa laa yanfa’uh’ zaalika huwad dalaalul ba’ed
13. Yad’oo laman darruhooo aqrabu min naf’ih; labi’salmawlaa wa labi’sal ‘asheer
14. Innal laaha yudkhilul lazeena aamanoo wa ‘amilus saalihaati jannaatin tajree min tahtihal anhaar; innal laaha yaf’alu maa yureed
15. Man kaana yazunnu allai yansurahul laahu fid dunyaa wal aakhirati fal yamdud bisababin ilas samaaa’i summal yaqta’ falyanzur hal yuzhibanna kaiduhoo maa yagheez
16. Wa kazaalika anzalnaahu aayaatim baiyinaatinw wa annal laaha yahdee mai yureed
17. Innal lazeena aamanoo wallazeena haadoo was saabi’eena wan nasaaraa wal Majoosa wallazeena ashrakooo innal laaha yafsilu bainahum yawmal qiyaamah; innal laaha ‘alaa kulli shai’in shaheed
18. Alam tara annal laaha yasjudu lahoo man fis samaawaati wa man fil ardi wash shamsu walqamaru wan nu joomu wal jibaalu wash shajaru wad dawaaabbu wa kaseerum minan naasi wa kaseerun haqqa ‘alaihil ‘azaab; wa mai yuhinil laahu famaa lahoo mim mukrim; innallaaha yaf’alu maa yashaaa (make sajda)
19. Haazaani khasmaanikh tasamoo fee Rabbihim fal lazeena kafaroo qutti’at lahum siyaabum min naar; yusabbu min fawqi ru’oosihimul hameem
20. Yusharu bihee maa fee butoonihim waljulood
21. Wa lahum maqaami’u min hadeed
22. Kullamaa araadooo any yakhrujoo minhaa min ghammin u’eedoo feeha wa zooqoo ‘azaabal hareeq (section 2)
23. Innal laaha yudkhilul lazeena aamanoo wa ‘amilus saalihaati jannaatin tajree min tahtihal anhaaru yuhallawna feehaa min asaawira min zahabinw wa lu’lu’aa; wa libaasuhum feehaa hareer
24. Wa hudooo ilat taiyibi minal qawli wa hudooo ilaaa siraatil hameed
25. Innal lazeena kafaroo wa yasuddoona ‘an sabeelil laahi wal Masjidil Haraamil lazee ja’alnaahu linnaasi sawaaa’anil ‘aakifu feehi walbaad; wa mai yurid feehi bi ilhaadim bizulmin nuziqhu min ‘azaabin aleem (section 3)
26. Wa iz bawwaanaa li Ibraaheema makaanal Baiti allaa tushrik bee shai’anw wa tahhir Baitiya litaaa’ifeena walqaaa’ imeena warrukka ‘is sujood
27. Wa azzin fin naasi bil Hajji yaatooka rijaalanw wa ‘alaa kulli daamiriny yaateena min kulli fajjin ‘ameeq
28. Li yashhadoo manaafi’a lahum wa yazkurus mal laahi feee ayyaamimma’loomaatin ‘alaa maa razaqahum mim baheematil an’aami fakuloo minhaa wa at’imul baaa’isal faqeer
29. Summal yaqdoo tafasahum wal yoofoo nuzoorahum wal yattawwafoo bil Baitil ‘Ateeq
30. Zaalika wa mai yu’azzim hurumaatil laahi fahuwa khairul lahoo ‘inda Rabbih; wa uhillat lakumul an’aamu illaa maa yutlaa ‘alaikum fajtanibur rijsa minal awsaani wajtaniboo qawlaz zoor
31. Hunafaaa’a lillaahi ghaira mushrikeena bih; wa mai yushrik billaahi faka annamaa kharra minas samaaa’i fatakh tafuhut tairu aw tahwee bihir reehu bee makaanin saheeq
32. Zaalika wa mai yu’azzim sha’aaa’iral laahi fa innahaa min taqwal quloob
33. Lakum feehaa manaafi’u ilaaa ajalim musamman summa mahilluhaaa ilal Baitil ‘Ateeq(section 4)
34. Wa likulli ummatin ja’alnaa mansakal liyazkurus mal laahi ‘alaa maa razaqahum mim baheematil an’aam; failaahukum ilaahunw Waahidun falahooo aslimoo; wa bashshiril mukhbiteen
35. Allazeena izaa zukiral laahu wajilat quloobuhum wassaabireena ‘alaa maaa asaabahum walmuqeemis Salaati wa mimmaa razaqnaahum yunfiqoon
36. Walbudna ja’alnaahaa lakum min sha’aaa’iril laahi lakum feehaa khairun fazkurusmal laahi ‘alaihaa sawaaff; fa izaa wajabat junoobuhaa fakuloo minhaa wa at’imul qaani’a walmu’tarr; kazaalika sakhkharnaahaa lakum la’allakum tashkuroon
37. Lany yanaalal laaha luhoo muhaa wa laa dimaaa’uhaa wa laakiny yanaaluhut taqwaa minkum; kazaalika sakhkharhaa lakum litukabbirul laaha ‘alaa ma hadaakum; wa bashshirul muhsineen
38. Innal laaha yudaafi’ ‘anil lazeena aamanoo; innal laaha laa yuhibbu kulla khawwaanin kafoor(section 5)
39. Uzina lillazeena yuqaataloona bi annahum zulimoo; wa innal laaha ‘alaa nasrihim la Qaderr
40. Allazeena ukhrijoo min diyaarihim bighairi haqqin illaaa any yaqooloo rabbunallaah; wa law laa daf’ul laahin naasa ba’dahum biba’dil lahuddimat sawaami’u wa biya’unw wa salawaatunw wa masaajidu yuzkaru feehasmul laahi kaseeraa; wa layansurannal laahu mai yansuruh; innal laaha la qawiyyun ‘Azeez
41. Allazeena im makkan naahum fil ardi aqaamus Salaata wa aatawuz Zakaata wa amaroo bilma’roofi wa nahaw ‘anil munkar; wa lillaahi ‘aaqibatul umoor
42. Wa iny yukazzibooka faqad kazzabat qablahum qawmu Noohinw wa Aadunw wa Samood
43. Wa qawmu Ibraaheema wa qawmu Loot
44. Wa as haabu Madyana wa kuzziba Moosaa fa amlaitu lilkaafireena summa akhaztuhum fakaifa kaana nakeer
45. Faka ayyim min qaryatin ahlaknaahaa wa hiya zaalimatun fahiya khaawiyatun ‘alaa ‘urooshihaa wa bi’rim mu’at talatinw wa qasrim masheed
46. Afalam yaseeroo fil ardi fatakoona lahum quloobuny ya’qiloona bihaaa aw aazaanuny yasma’oona bihaa fa innahaa laa ta’mal absaaru wa laakin ta’mal quloobul latee fissudoor
47. Wa yasta’jiloonaka bil’azaabi wa lany yukhlifal laahu wa’dah; wa inna yawman ‘inda Rabbika ka’alfi sanatim mimmaa ta’uddoon
48. Wa ka ayyim min qaryatin amlaitu lahaa wa hiya zaalimatun summa akhaztuhaa wa ilaiyal maseer(section 6)
49. Qul yaaa ayyuhan naasu innamaaa ana lakum nazeerum mubeen
50. Fallazeena aamanoo wa ‘amilus saalihaati lahum maghfiratunw wa rizqun kareem
51. Wallazeena sa’aw feee Aayaatinaa mu’aajizeena ulaaa ika As-haabul jaheem
52. Wa maaa arsalnaa min qablika mir Rasoolinnw wa laa Nabiyyin illaaa izaaa tamannaaa alqash Shaitaanu feee umniy yatihee fa yansakhul laahu maa yulqish Shaitaanu summa yuhkimul laahu aayaatih; wallaahu ‘Aleemun Hakeem
53. Liyaj’ala maa yulqish Shaitaanu fitnatal lillazeena fee quloobihim maradunw walqaasiyati quloobuhum; wa innaz zaalimeena lafee shiqaaqim ba’eed
54. Wa liya’lamal lazeena ootul ‘ilma annahul haqqu mir Rabbika fa yu’minoo bihee fatukhbita lahoo quloobuhum; wa innal laaha lahaadil lazeena aamanoo ilaa Siraatim Mustaqeem
55. Wa laa yazaalul lazeena kafaroo fee miryatim minhu hattaa taatiyahumus Saa’atu baghtatan aw yaatiyahum ‘azaabu Yawmin ‘aqeem
56. Almulku Yawma’izil lillaahi yahkumu bainahum; fallazeena aamanoo wa ‘amilus saalihaati fee jannaatin Na’eem
57. Wallazeena kafaroo wa kazzaboo bi Aayaatinaa fa ulaaa’ika lahum ‘azaabum muheen (section 7)
58. Wallazeena haajaroo fee sabeelil laahi summa qutilooo aw maatoo la yarzuqan nahumul laahu rizqan hasanaa; wa innal laaha la Huwa khairur raaziqeen
59. La yudkhilan nahum mud khalany yardawnah; wa innal laaha la ‘Aleemun Haleem
60. Zaalika wa man ‘aaqaba bimisli maa ‘ooqiba bihee summa bughiya ‘alaihi la yansurannahul laah; innal laaha la ‘Afuwwun Ghafoor
61. Zaalika bi annal laaha yoolijul laila fin nahaari wa yoolijun nahaara fil laili wa annal laaha Samee’um Baseer
62. Zaalika bi annal laaha Huwal haqqu wa anna maa yad’oona min doonihee huwal baatilu wa annal laaha Huwal ‘Aliyyul kabeer
63. Alam tara annal laaha anzala minas samaaa’i maaa’an fatusbihul ardu mukhdarrah; innal laaha Lateefun Khabeer
64. Lahoo ma fis samaawaati wa ma fil ard; wa innal laaha la Huwal Ghaniyyul Hameed(section 8)
65. Alam tara annal laaha sakhkhara lakum maa fil ardi wal fulka tajree fil bahri bi amrihee wa yumsikus samaaa’a an taqa’a ‘alal ardi illaa biiznih; innal laaha binnaasi la Ra’oofur Raheem
66. Wa Huwal lazee ahyaakum summa yumeetukum summa yuhyeekum; innal insaana la kafoor
67. Likulli ummatin ja’alnaa mansakan hum naasikoohu falaa yunaazi ‘unnaka fil amr; wad’u ilaa Rabbika innaka la ‘alaa hudan mustaqeem
68. Wa in jaadalooka faqulil laahu a’lamu bimaa ta’maloon
69. Allaahu yahkumu bainakum Yawmal Qiyaamati feemaa kuntum feehi takhtalifoon
70. Alam ta’lam annal laaha ya’lamu maa fis samaaa’i wal ard; inna zaalika fee kitaab; inna zaalika ‘alal laahi yaseer
71. Wa ya’budoona min doonil laahi maa lam yunazzil bihee sultaananw wa maa laisa lahum bihee ‘ilm; wa maa lizzaalimeena min naseer
72. Wa izaa tutlaa ‘alaihim Aayaatunaa baiyinaatin ta’rifu fee wujoohil lazeena kafarul munkara yakaadoona yastoona bil lazeena yatloona ‘alaihim Aayaatinaa; qul afa unab bi’ukum bisharrim min zaalikum; an Naaru wa ‘adahal laahul lazeena kafaroo wa bi’sal maseer (section 9)
73. Yaaa ayyuhan naasu duriba masalun fastami’oo lah; innal lazeena tad’oona min doonil laahi lai yakhluqoo zubaabanw wa lawijtama’oo lahoo wa iny yaslub humuz zubaabu shai’an laa yastanqizoohu minh; da’ufat taalibu wal matloob
74. Maa qadrul laaha haqqa qadrih; innal laaha la Qawiyyun ‘Azeez
75. Allahu yastafee minal malaaa’ikati Rusulanw wa minan naas; innal laaha Samee’un Baseer
76. Ya’lamu maa baina aydeehim wa maa khalfahum; wa ilal laahi turja’ul umoor
77. Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanur ka’oo wasjudoo wa’budoo Rabbakum waf’alul khaira la’allakum tuflihoon (make sajda)
78. Wa jaahidoo fil laahi haqqa jihaadih; Huwaj tabaakum wa maa ja’ala ‘alaikum fid deeni min haraj; Millata abeekum Ibraaheem; Huwa sammaakumul muslimeena min qablu wa fee haaza li yakoonar Rasoolu shaheedan ‘alaikum wa takoonoo shuhadaaa’a ‘alan naas; fa aqeemus salaata wa aatuz zakaata wa’tasimoo billaahi Huwa mawlaakum fani’mal mawlaa wa ni’man naseer (section 10) (End Juz 17)

Translation

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

1. O mankind, fear your Lord. Indeed the quake of the (destined) Hour is something terrible.
2. The day you will see it, every suckling female will forget that which she suckles, and every female having pregnancy shall abort her fetus, and you will see people as if they are drunk, while they are not drunk, but Allah‘s torment is (so) severe.
3. Among the people there is one who debates about Allah without knowledge, and follows every rebellious Satan,
4. about whom it is destined that if someone takes him for friend, he will misguide him and lead him to the torment of the Fire.
5. O mankind, if you are in doubt about Resurrection, then (recall that) We created you from dust, then from a drop of semen, then from a clot, then from a piece of flesh, either shaped or unshaped, so that We manifest (Our power) to you. We retain in the wombs whatever We will to a specified term. Then We bring you out as babies, then (We nourish you) so that you reach your maturity. And among you there is one who dies, and among you there is one who is carried to the worst part of the age, so that he knows nothing even after having knowledge. And you see the land dry. Then once We send down water on it, it stirs and swells and puts forth every pleasant pair (of vegetation).
6. That is because Allah, He is the Truth and because He quickeneth the dead, and because He is Able to do all things;
7. And because the Hour will come, there is no doubt thereof; and because Allah will raise those who are in the graves.
8. And among mankind is he who disputeth concerning Allah without knowledge or guidance or a scripture giving light,
9. Turning away in pride to beguile (men) from the way of Allah. For him in this world is ignominy, and on the Day of Resurrection We make him taste the doom of burning.
10. (And unto him it will be said): This is for that which thy two hands have sent before, and because Allah is no oppressor of His slaves.
11. And among mankind is he who worshippeth Allah upon a narrow marge so that if good befalleth him he is content therewith, but if a trial befalleth him, he falleth away utterly. He loseth both the world and the Hereafter. That is the sheer loss.
12. He calleth, beside Allah, unto that which hurteth him not nor benefiteth him. That is the far error.
13. He calleth unto him whose harm is nearer than his benefit; verily an evil patron and verily an evil friend!
14. Lo! Allah causeth those who believe and do good works to enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow. Lo! Allah doth what He intendeth.
15. Whoso is wont to think (through envy) that Allah will not give him (Muhammad) victory in the world and the Hereafter (and is enraged at the thought of his victory), let him stretch a rope up to the roof (of his dwelling), and let him hang himself. Then let him see whether his strategy dispelleth that whereat he rageth!.
16. Thus We reveal it as plain revelations, and verily Allah guideth whom He will.
17. Lo! those who believe (this revelation), and those who are Jews, and the Sabaeans and the Christians and the Magians and the idolaters – Lo! Allah will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection. Lo! Allah is Witness over all things.
18. Hast thou not seen that unto Allah payeth adoration whosoever is in the heavens and whosoever is in the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the hills, and the trees, and the beasts, and many of mankind, while there are many unto whom the doom is justly due. He whom Allah scorneth, there is none to give him honour. Lo! Allah doeth what He will.
19. These twain (the believers and the disbelievers) are two opponents who contend concerning their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, garments of fire will be cut out for them; boiling fluid will be poured down on their heads,
20. Whereby that which is in their bellies, and their skins too, will be melted;
21. And for them are hooked rods of iron.
22. Whenever, in their anguish, they would go forth from thence they are driven back therein and (it is said unto them): Taste the doom of burning.
23. Lo! Allah will cause those who believe and do good works to enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will be allowed armlets of gold, and pearls, and their raiment therein will be silk.
24. They are guided unto gentle speech; they are guided unto the path of the Glorious One.
25. Lo! those who disbelieve and bar (men) from the way of Allah and from the Inviolable Place of Worship, which We have appointed for mankind together, the dweller therein and the nomad: whosoever seeketh wrongful partiality therein, him We shall cause to taste a painful doom.
26. And (remember) when We prepared for Abraham the place of the (holy) House, saying: Ascribe thou no thing as partner unto Me, and purify My House for those who make the round (thereof) and those who stand and those who bow and make prostration.
27. And proclaim unto mankind the pilgrimage. They will come unto thee on foot and on every lean camel; they will come from every deep ravine,
28. That they may witness things that are of benefit to them, and mention the name of Allah on appointed days over the beast of cattle that He hath bestowed upon them. Then eat thereof and feed therewith the poor unfortunate.
29. Then let them make an end of their unkemptness and pay their vows and go around the ancient House.
30. That (is the command). And whoso magnifieth the sacred things of Allah, it will be well for him in the sight of his Lord. The cattle are lawful unto you save that which hath been told you. So shun the filth of idols, and shun lying speech,
31. Turning unto Allah (only), not ascribing partners unto Him; for whoso ascribeth partners unto Allah, it is as if he had fallen from the sky and the birds had snatched him or the wind had blown him to a far-off place.
32. That (is the command). And whoso magnifieth the offerings consecrated to Allah, it surely is from devotion of the hearts,
33. Therein are benefits for you for an appointed term; and afterward they are brought for sacrifice unto the ancient House.
34. And for every nation have We appointed a ritual, that they may mention the name of Allah over the beast of cattle that He hath given them for food; and your god is One God, therefor surrender unto Him. And give good tidings ( O Muhammad) to the humble,
35. Whose hearts fear when Allah is mentioned, and the patient of whatever may befall them, and those who establish worship and who spend of that We have bestowed on them.
36. And the camels! We have appointed them among the ceremonies of Allah. Therein ye have much good. So mention the name of Allah over them when they are drawn up in lines. Then when their flanks fall (dead), eat thereof and feed the beggar and the suppliant. Thus have We made them subject unto you, that haply ye may give thanks.
37. Their flesh and their food reach not Allah, but the devotion from you reacheth Him. Thus have We made them subject unto you that ye may magnify Allah that He hath guided you. And give good tidings ( O Muhammad) to the good.
38. Lo! Allah defendeth those who are true. Lo! Allah loveth not each treacherous ingrate.
39. Sanction is given unto those who fight because they have been wronged; and Allah is indeed Able to give them victory;
40. Those who have been driven from their homes unjustly only because they said: Our Lord is Allah – For had it not been for Allah’s repelling some men by means of others, cloisters and churches and oratories and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft mentioned, would assuredly have been pulled down. Verily Allah helpeth one who helpeth Him. Lo! Allah is Strong, Almighty –
41. Those who, if We give them power in the land, establish worship and pay the poor-due and enjoin kindness and forbid iniquity. And Allah’s is the sequel of events.
42. If they deny thee (Muhammad), even so the folk of Noah, and (the tribes of) A’ad and Thamud, before thee, denied (Our messengers);
43. And the folk of Abraham and the folk of Lot;
44. (And) the dwellers in Midian. And Moses was denied; but I indulged the disbelievers a long while, then I seized them, and how (terrible) was My abhorrence!
45. How many a township have We destroyed while it was sinful, so that it lieth (to this day) in ruins, and (how many) a deserted well and lofty tower!
46. Have they not travelled in the land, and have they hearts wherewith to feel and ears wherewith to hear? For indeed it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts, which are within the bosoms, that grow blind.
47. And they will bid thee hasten on the Doom, and Allah faileth not His promise, but lo! a Day with Allah is as a thousand years of what ye reckon.
48. And how many a township did I suffer long though it was sinful! Then I grasped it. Unto Me is the return.
49. Say: O mankind! I am only a plain warner unto you.
50. Those who believe and do good works, for them is pardon and a rich provision;
51. While those who strive to thwart Our revelations, such are rightful owners of the Fire.
52. Never sent We a messenger or a prophet before thee but when He recited (the message) Satan proposed (opposition) in respect of that which he recited thereof. But Allah abolisheth that which Satan proposeth. Then Allah establisheth His revelations. Allah is Knower, Wise;
53. That He may make that which the devil proposeth a temptation for those in whose hearts is a disease, and those whose hearts are hardened – Lo! the evil-doers are in open schism –
54. And that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from thy Lord, so that they may believe therein and their hearts may submit humbly unto Him. Lo! Allah verily is guiding those who believe unto a right path.
55. And those who disbelieve will not cease to be in doubt thereof until the Hour come upon them unawares, or there come unto them the doom of a disastrous day.
56. The Sovereignty on that day will be Allah’s, He will judge between them. Then those who believed and did good works will be in Gardens of Delight,
57. While those who disbelieved and denied Our revelations, for them will be a shameful doom.
58. Those who fled their homes for the cause of Allah and then were slain or died, Allah verily will provide for them a good provision. Lo! Allah, He verily is Best of all who make provision.
59. Assuredly He will cause them to enter by an entry that they will love. Lo! Allah verily is Knower, Indulgent.
60. That (is so). And whoso hath retaliated with the like of that which he was made to suffer and then hath (again) been wronged, Allah will succour him. Lo! Allah verily is Mild, Forgiving.
61. That is because Allah maketh the night to pass into the day and maketh the day to pass into the night, and because Allah is Hearer, Seer.
62. That is because Allah, He is the True, and that whereon they call instead of Him, it is the false, and because Allah, He is the High, the Great.
63. Seest thou not how Allah sendeth down water from the sky and then the earth becometh green upon the morrow? Lo! Allah is Subtile, Aware.
64. Unto Him belongeth all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Lo! Allah, He verily is the Absolute, the Owner of Praise.
65. Hast thou not seen how Allah hath made all that is in the earth subservient unto you? And the ship runneth upon the sea by His command, and He holdeth back the heaven from falling on the earth unless by His leave. Lo! Allah is, for mankind, Full of Pity, Merciful.
66. And He it is Who gave you life, then He will cause you to die, and then will give you life (again). Lo! man is verily an ingrate.
67. Unto each nation have We given sacred rites which they are to perform; so let them not dispute with thee of the matter, but summon thou unto thy Lord. Lo! thou indeed followest right guidance.
68. And if they wrangle with thee, say: Allah is Best Aware of what ye do.
69. Allah will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein ye used to differ.
70. Hast thou not known that Allah knoweth all that is in the heaven and the earth? Lo! it is in a record. Lo! that is easy for Allah.
71. And they worship instead of Allah that for which He hath sent down no warrant, and that whereof they have no knowledge. For evil-doers there is no helper.
72. And when Our revelations are recited unto them, thou knowest the denial in the faces of those who disbelieve; they all but attack those who recite Our revelations unto them. Say: Shall I proclaim unto you worse than that? The Fire! Allah hath promised it for those who disbelieve. A hapless journey’s end!
73. O mankind! A similitude is coined, so pay ye heed to it: Lo! those on whom ye call beside Allah will never create a fly though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly took something from them, they could not rescue it from it. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought!
74. They measure not Allah His rightful measure. Lo! Allah is Strong, Almighty.
75. Allah chooseth from the angels messengers, and (also) from mankind. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Seer.
76. He knoweth all that is before them and all that is behind them, and unto Allah all things are returned. $$A
77. O ye who believe! Bow down and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord, and do good, that haply ye may prosper.
78. And strive for Allah with the endeavour which is His right. He hath chosen you and hath not laid upon you in religion any hardship; the faith of your father Abraham (is yours). He hath named you Muslims of old time and in this (Scripture), that the messenger may be a witness against you, and that ye may be witnesses against mankind. So establish worship, pay the poor-due, and hold fast to Allah. He is your Protecting friend. A blessed Patron and a blessed Helper!

[From Holy Quran Translation by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall]

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Commentators differ on whether this Surah is Makkan or Madani. Ibn ` Abbas (رض) has expressed two views on different occasions. However, a majority of commentators believe that the Surah is a combination of both the Makkan and Madani verses, and Qurtubi prefers this view. He has also mentioned the other peculiarities of this Surah, namely that some of its verses were revealed at night and some during the day; some were revealed during travels and some when the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was not traveling; some were revealed in Makkah and others at Madinah; some were revealed in the middle of battle and others in peace time. Some verses of this Surah are nasikh (verses of the Qur’an abrogating some other verses), and some are mansookh (verses of the Qur’an which have been abrogated by others); some are muhkam while others are mutashabih (مُتَشَابِہ). Indeed this Surah comprises all categories of revelations.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَ‌بَّكُمْ (0 men, fear your Lord. – 22:1).This verse was revealed to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) while he was traveling. He recited in a loud voice, so that all his companions gathered around him after hearing his voice. Then he addressed them “Do you know when the upheaval of the Resurrection, which is mentioned in this verse, will take place?” They replied, “Allah and His Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) knows best.” Then the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, “That will be the day when Allah will command Sayyidna ‘Adam (عليه السلام) to raise those people who have been marked out for hell. Sayyidna Adam (عليه السلام) will ask Allah Ta’ala who those people are, and Allah will inform him that nine hundred and ninety nine out of every one thousand will go to hell.” The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) then added, “That will be the time when small children will become old on account of terror, and pregnant women will abort their fetuses.”

The companions were frightened when they heard this and asked the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، “0 prophet of Allah! Who are those among us who will escape this terrible fate?” The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) replied, “Set your minds at ease. For every one thousand of the Gog and Magog (Ya’ juj and Ma’juj) there will be only one from amongst you.” This incident is reported in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Said Al-Khudri (رض) . There are other versions also according to which the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is reported to have said, “On the Day of Resurrection you will find yourself with two peoples who will predominate numerically all the other peoples who would be near them. One of them is the tribe of Gog and Magog (یا جوج ماجوج) and the other is the Shaitan and his descendants, and those of the progeny of Sayyidna ‘Adam (عليه السلام) who have died earlier.” Thus, among the nine hundred and ninety nine the majority will be from those peoples. Qurtubi and others have quoted these narrations.

When will the earthquake of the Day of Resurrection take place?

Will it happen before or after the dead are raised to life? Some people have opined that the earthquake will occur in this world before the Day of Judgment and will be among the last signs of the coming of the Dooms Day, to which reference has been made in several verses of the Qur’an, such as:

When earth is shaken with a mighty shaking – 99:1

And the earth and the mountains are lifted up and crushed with a single blow – 69:14

When the earth shall be rocked. 56:4

There are others who have deduced from the above-referred hadith that the earthquake will occur after the Dooms Day and Resurrection. In fact there is no inconsistency between these two views, because verses of the Qur’an and the ahadith of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) may be quoted in support of either view. Allah knows best.

This verse also gives a picture of the earthquake of the Day of Resurrection when all the pregnant women will abort their fetuses and every breast-feeding woman nursing her child will be diverted from it. If the earthquake takes place in this world before the Dooms Day, then there is no ambiguity in all these happenings. But if the earthquake occurs after the Dooms Day, then the explanation would be that a pregnant woman would be raised on the Dooms Day in the same state, and a woman who died while breast-feeding her child will also be raised in the same condition along with her child. (Qurtubi). Allah knows best.

 Different stages in the development of foetus in mother’s womb

فَإِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن تُرَ‌ابٍ (We created you from dust – 22:5.) This verse deals with the different stages through which the foetus passes in its mother’s womb before taking a human form. There is a detailed hadith on this subject, which is reproduced in Sahih of Bukhari on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn Masud (رض) to the effect that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, “Human matter retains its original form in the woman’s womb for forty days after which it becomes a clot of blood. After a further period of forty days it becomes a lump of flesh. Thereafter an angel is sent by Allah Ta’ ala who breaths a soul into it and records four things about it, namely how long it will live, how much sustenance it will receive, what acts he will do, and finally whether its end will be wretched or fortunate. (Qurtubi)

There is another narration which has been related by Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir, also on the authority of ` Abdullah Ibn Masud (رض) ، that when the seed becomes a lump of flesh after passing through different stages, the angel responsible to watch the progressive development of each individual then seeks guidance from Allah Ta’ ala saying: یَارَبّ مُخَلَّقَۃ او غیر مُخَلَّقۃ . That is, whether it is His will that the lump of flesh should be allowed to grow and become a living human being. If Allah says it is: غَیر مُخَلَّقۃ then the womb aborts the foetus and it does not reach the higher stages leading to a live birth. On the other hand, if Allah says that it is: مُخَلَّقۃ then the angel asks Him whether it is to be a boy or a girl, wretched or fortunate, how long it will live, how it will spend its life and when it will die. The angel is given information on all these matters then and there. (Ibn Kathir) Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas    رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہما has also interpreted the words (مُخَلَّقَۃ او غیر مُخَلَّقۃ) in a similar manner. (Qurtubi)

مُّخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ‌ مُخَلَّقَةٍ (shaped or unshaped – 22:5). It is evident from the hadith referred to above that the human seed which completes its full term in the womb and is destined to be born as a normal human being is meant by            (shaped), whereas a seed which is destined to be aborted is (unshaped). However, there are other commentators who have explained these two words differently. According to them a foetus which completes all the stages of growth and development and whose limbs and other organs of the body are healthy, normal and proportionate ism (shaped). On the other hand, a foetus whose limbs are deformed or disproportionate is غَيْرِ‌ مُخَلَّقَةٍ (unshaped). The latter interpretation is close to the translation adopted above. Allah knows best.

ثُمَّ نُخْرِ‌جُكُمْ طِفْلًا Then We bring you out as babies – 22:5) Then Allah brings forth the baby from its mother’s womb as a totally helpless thing. Its body is weak and so are its other faculties, such as hearing, vision, senses, brain function, and overall physical movements including its grasp. All theses faculties grow strong as time passes until they reach their full capability. This is the meaning of the words ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوا أَشُدَّكُمْ. (Then [ We nourish you ] so that you reach your maturity – 22:5). The word Ashudd اَشُد is the plural of shiddah شِدَّہ ، just as An` um اَنعَم is the plural of Ni’mah نِعمَۃ . The meanings of these words are that the process of gradual development continues until all the faculties reach their peak and this happens when a person is in the prime of his youth.

أَرْ‌ذَلِ الْعُمُرِ‌ (The worst part of the age – 22:5). It means the stage of life when human faculties and senses begin to degenerate. The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) had sought Allah’s protection from such life. Nasa’i has quoted Sayyidna Sa’d (رض) as saying that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to repeat the following prayer very frequently. (Qurtubi):

(0 Allah! I seek Your protection from miserliness, and I seek Your protection from cowardice, and I seek Your protection from that I am carried to the age of helplessness, and I seek Your protection from the seductions of this world and the chastisement of the grave.)

An account of the different stages of human life after birth

Musnad of Ahmad and Musnad of Abu Ya` la quote Sayyidna ‘Anas Ibn Malik (رض) that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) once said “The good deeds of a minor child are recorded in the account of his father or both his parents, but his evil deeds are not recorded, neither in his parents’ account nor in his own. After he has attained majority, an account is opened in his own name and the two angels who are attached to him are commanded to afford him protection and provide him strength. When he reaches the age of forty years and is still a Muslim, then Allah Ta’ ala grants him immunity from three diseases: insanity, leprosy and leucoderma. When he reaches the age of fifty years, Allah eases and abates his record. At the age of sixty, Allah Ta’ ala creates in him an urge to turn his thoughts towards Him. At seventy, all the inhabitants of the sky begin to love him. When he is eighty, Allah Ta’ ala records his good deeds but ignores his lapses. At ninety, Allah writes off all his sins, and grants him permission to intercede on behalf of his relatives and also accepts his intercession. He is then given the titles of اَمِین اللہ (Allah’s trustee) and اَسِیرَ اللہ فی الارض (that is the prisoner of Allah on earth, because at that age all his strength is gone, he loses interest in his surroundings and spends his life like a prisoner). And when he reaches the worst of age, then all the good deeds which he used to perform when he was strong and healthy continue to be recorded in his account while his sinful acts remain unrecorded.”

Having reproduced this tradition from Musnad Abu Ya` la, Hafiz Ibn Kathir says:

This hadith is gharb (i.e. reported by one narrator only), and is extremely munkar (i.e. reported by a weak narrator against the authentic traditions).

He then adds:

(And in spite of all this Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (رح) has related it in his Musnad both as a saying of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and as a saying of a Sahabi, that is traced.

 (And among men there is one who worships Allah (standing) on the verge – 22:11.) Bukhari and Ibn Abi Haim have related from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) that when the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) migrated to Madinah, people flocked to him and accepted the new religion. But there were some among them whose conversion to Islam was far from being genuine, and whose sole motive for their action was to seek self-advancement, and they lacked conviction. If, after becoming Muslims, favorable circumstances resulted in an increase in their prosperity and their children, they thought Islam was a very good religion, but they were equally ready to condemn it if things went against their personal interests. This verse was revealed to describe such people who were mere opportunists and were easily swayed either way depending on where their selfish interests lay.

مَن كَانَ يَظُنُّ (If someone thinks – 22:15). It means that the enemies of Islam who put hurdles in its path and desired that Allah should abandon the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and his religion must clearly understand that this can happen only when, God forbid, he is deprived of the office of the prophethood and ceases to receive wahy (revelations) from Allah Ta’ ala. It is well understood that when Allah Ta’ ala bestows the prophethood on someone and also favours him with wahy (revelations), He also promises him full support in this world and in the Hereafter. Thus the only way to stop the advancement of a prophet and his mission, if someone has the power to stop it, is that he should dispossess the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) of his mission or that the sequence of Divine revelation should be severed. Anyone wanting to do all this will have to go up to the sky and cut off the chain of revelation, and since such a thing is not possible, no amount of fire and fury can do any harm to Islam. This interpretation is related in al-Durr al-Manthur from Ibn Zaid and, in my opinion, it is the most appropriate one.

Qurtubi also thinks that this is the best interpretation of this verse. There are some others who are of the view that the word سَمَاء (sky) occurring in this verse means the ceiling of one’s house and the verse means that a person who entertains hostile feelings towards Islam and the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) must realize that he can do them no harm. Hence the best thing for him to do is to hang himself from the ceiling out of sheer mortification. (Mazhari and others).

In verse 17 it is stated that Allah will decide among the believers and non-believers of different faiths on the Day of Resurrection, because He knows everything. What that decision would be, has been related in the Qur’an at several places, namely that the good Muslims will enjoy a life of everlasting peace and comfort, while the infidels would be condemned to a life of eternal perdition. In the next verse, by using the word “Sajdah” (prostration), it has been declared that all created things, be they living things, minerals or plants, are in obedience and thus submit to the Supreme authority of Allah Ta’ ala, thereby mentioning two groups of humans in this respect of ‘submission’. One, which obeys Allah and therefore is included amongst the creatures who ‘prostrate’ to Him, and the other one which is rebellious and refuses to bow before Him, meaning, refusing to submit to His Will. The word “Sajdah” (prostration) has been used here in the broader sense of ‘submission’ to the will of Allah and obeying His commands, because all created things act upon this submission in their own way. Human beings perform Sajdah by touching the ground with the forehead, while in the case of other created things their Sajdah constitutes their faithful performance of the functions assigned to them by Allah.

The truth about all created things obeying Allah

Genetically, the entire universe and all created things therein are under, the control and subject to the Will of their Creator by virtue of an inherently programmed guidance (guidance of Takwin) by Allah. The ‘submission’ in this sense is pre-determined, involuntary and instinctive. There is no created being which can escape this universal law of creation, be it a Muslim or a non-believer, a living thing or dead, mineral or plant. The smallest particle and the highest mountain cannot make the slightest movement without His Will.

There is, however, another kind of submission to Allah, when a person offers homage to Him voluntarily and without constraint. This is what distinguishes a believer from a non-believer. A believer is obedient and sincere in his submission to Allah, whereas a non-believer repudiates His existence. As this verse deals with the difference between a Muslim and a kafir (infidel), it is more likely that reference to ‘Sajdah’ (prostration) does not refer to pre-destined and instinctive obedience alone but covers the voluntary submission as well. Let it not be supposed that only human beings and Jinns who possess intelligence can offer voluntary and unconstrained submission, and animals, plants and minerals being devoid of reason cannot exercise voluntary and intentional obedience. Indeed it can be proved from the text of the Qur’an that every created thing has reason, intellect and intent, and the difference lies only in degree.

Human beings and Jinns possess a perfect level of intelligence, which makes them liable to a strict adherence to the laws governing what is permissible and what is forbidden. As regards other creatures, Allah has given them intelligence according to their needs. Animals possess the highest degree of intelligence after humans, then come plants and last of all are the minerals.

The intelligence among the animals can easily be perceived, and that possessed by plants can also be observed if one applies one’s mind to the task. However, the intelligence given to the minerals is so little and concealed that it is not easily discernible, though Allah has said clearly that they not only possess intelligence but also have the capacity to decide things. The Qur’an says about the sky and the earth قَالَتَا أَتَيْنَا طَائِعِينَ (They said, “We come willingly.”41:11) that is, when Allah commanded the sky and the earth that they must submit to His Will either by their free choice or by force, they both replied that they accepted His authority by their own voluntary choice.

At another place the Qur’an says وَإِنَّ مِنْهَا لَمَا يَهْبِطُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّـهِ , (and there are still others which fall down in fear of Allah. – 2:74) which means that there are rocks, which fall down in fear of Allah Ta’ ala. Similarly, there are numerous traditions which provide evidence of mountains conversing with one another, or other created things showing signs of intelligence. Therefore, the homage mentioned in this verse for which the word Sajdah (Prostration) has been used means the voluntary homage. The interpretation of this verse would, then, be that except for the human beings and Jinns all other created things voluntarily and willingly submit to the Divine Authority. It is only the human beings and Jinns who are divided into two factions, namely those who bow in submission to the Will of Allah, and those who deny His authority and refuse to submit to Him and are, therefore, despised. Allah knows best.

The philosophy of adorning the dwellers of Paradise with gold bracelets

Here a point may arise that bracelets are articles of jewellery worn by women only and their use by men is looked upon with disfavor. This objection is not entirely relevant because throughout ages monarchs have embellished their persons with costly jewellery, crowns and bracelets as symbols of their might and wealth. The story is well known that Suraqah Ibn Malik (رض) ، before his conversion to Islam, started out in pursuit of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) in order to apprehend him while he was on his way from Makkah to Madinah. As he approached near the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) his horse sank, by Allah’s Will, in a piece of treacherous sand. At that critical moment he expressed his repentance about his error and sinful way, and begged the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) to pray for his deliverance from his predicament.

When, as a result of the Holy Prophet’s (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) prayer, his horse was extracted from the quicksand, he promised Suraqah Ibn Malik (رض) that when the bracelets of the King of Persia would fall in the hands of the Muslims as spoils of war, they would be given to him. So, when during the caliphate of Sayyidna ` Umar’ (رض) the Muslims conquered Persia and the bracelets worn by the King of Persia were brought to Madinah along with other spoils of war Suraqah Ibn Malik (رض) laid claim to them and received them from Sayyidna ` Umar (رض) . In brief, just as wearing a crown is a royal privilege and not a common practice among men, similarly wearing bracelets by men is a royal privilege, and thus the men admitted to heaven will wear them as a symbol of honour and Divine favour. According to this verse, and also Surah Fatir, the bracelets will be made of gold, but in Surah Nisa’ it is said that they will be made of silver. For this reason commentators are of the view that the bracelets worn by the pious people in heaven will be of three kinds, that is made of gold, silver and pearls. This verse makes a mention of bracelets made of pearls also.

Silk clothes are forbidden for men

The verse says that those people who are admitted to Paradise will wear silk clothes which means that their dresses, carpets, curtains etc. will be made of silk, which is regarded as the best fabric in this world. However, it should be understood that the silk used in Paradise and the silk used in this world have only the name in common, otherwise from the point of view of quality there is no comparison between the two.

Imam Nasa’i, Bazzar and Baihaqi رحمۃ اللہ علیہم have related on the authority of Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar (رض) that once the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said that the clothes of the people living in Paradise will be made from silk, which will be extracted from a fruit growing there. There is also a statement by Sayyidna Jabir (رض) that there would be a tree in the Paradise which would produce silk and the people of Paradise would wear dresses made from it. (Mazhari)

In a hadith quoted by Imam Nasa’i (رح) on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah (رض) the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) once said:

“He who wears silk in this world will not wear it in the Hereafter; he who drinks wine in this world will be deprived of the sacred nectar in the Hereafter; he who uses utensils made of precious metals for food and drink in this world will be denied their use in the Hereafter.” Then the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) added ” These three things are exclusively for the people of Paradise.” (Qurtubi quoting Nasa’i)

The meaning is that a person who spent his life in this world in the midst of these three luxuries and did not show contrition, would be deprived of them even if he were admitted to Paradise. According to Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar (رض) the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said that a person who drank wine in this world and did not repent would be deprived of the sacred nectar of the Paradise in the Hereafter. (Qurtubi)

According to Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri (رض) there is another hadith in which the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said:

“He who wore silk in the world will not wear it in the Hereafter even if he is admitted to Paradise. All other people of Paradise will wear silk, but not he.”

Here a point arises that if after admittance to Paradise a person remained deprived of something, he will nourish a sense of sorrow and grief, whereas Paradise is no place for such feelings, because everyone who is admitted to Paradise should at all times be easy in his mind and free from anxiety. On the other hand, if the deprivation of certain facilities causes no sorrow and grief, then the deprivation loses its purpose. Qurtubi has given a very convincing explanation to this matter. He says that the people of Paradise will be given different grades and places at different levels, depending on how well they stood in Allah’s favour on account of their good deeds and devotion to the cause of the True Faith. Everybody will be aware of these differences, but Allah will fill their hearts with tranquility and contentment, so that they will not feel grief and sorrow about these differences: وَاللہُ سبحانَہُ و تعالیٰ اَعلَم

In the previous verse, mention was made of the mutual hostility between the believers and infidels. One aspect of this hostility has been described in this verse, namely that among the infidels there are those who not only persist in error themselves but also prevent others from following the path of virtue. Those were the people who prevented the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and his companions when they wanted to enter the Sacred Mosque wearing the pilgrim’s garb. Traditionally the Sacred Mosque and that part of Makkah which has an essential role in the rituals of the pilgrimage was not their property and they had no right to deny entry to anyone. The place is open to everyone, whether a local resident or a visitor.

The verse goes on to say that anyone who commits an impious act in the Sacred Mosque, (meaning the whole of حَرَم Haram), such as preventing people from entering the Mosque, will be made to suffer severe chastisement from Allah, especially if he is also a polytheist as was the case with the infidels of Makkah. They will be liable for double punishment, one for being non-believers and second for preventing others to enter the Sacred Mosque for pilgrimage. Although all sinful acts especially shirk and kufr are forbidden and are great crimes and sins which are liable to punishment at all times and in all places, but such acts carried out in the حَرَم Haram enhance the crime double-fold, and hence referred here for their special importance.

يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ (Prevent (people) from the way of Allah – 22:25) The words سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ (the way of Allah) mean Islam and the sense of the verse is that these people not only repudiate Islam themselves but also prevent others from accepting it.

Their second offence is that they stop the Muslims from entering the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid Al-Haram) (22:25). In reality Al-Masjid Al-Haram is the name of the mosque which is built around بَیت اللہ (House of Allah – the Holy Ka’bah), and it is a very important part of حَرَم haram of Makkah. However, the term Al-Masjid Al-Haram is usually used for the whole of haram of Makkah, as is the case under this episode. Thus the infidels of Makkah excluded the Muslims not only from the Sacred Mosque but also from the precincts of haram of Makkah (as is evident from numerous traditions), and the words اَلمَسجِد الحَرَام used in this verse cover the entire haram. The Holy Qur’an has at another place used the word اَلمَسجِد الحَرَام under this episode in the meaning of the whole area of حَرَم Haram: وَصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَ‌امِ. (48:25)

The meaning of equal rights of all Muslims within Haram of Makkah

According to al-Durr al-Manthur the term Al-Masjid Al-Haram in the present context means the entire haram as reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) . The entire Muslim Ummah and all the jurists are unanimous on the fact that all those areas of Makkah and the haram where the essential rituals of the pilgrimage are performed, such as the space between Safa and Marwah, where the pilgrims perform سَعِی Sa’y, and all the open areas of Mina, ` Arafat and Muzdalifah are waqf for the benefit of the entire Muslim ummah and have never been, nor can ever be, owned by individuals. Some jurists apply this principle to the private houses in Makkah and the open lands in the area of haram to infer that these too are waqf for all the Muslims, that a Muslim can stay anywhere he likes and that the sale or letting out these properties on rent is not permissible. However, there are other jurists who do not accept this view and believe that the ownership of these properties can vest in private individuals and the houses can be sold or let out on rent. It is well established that Sayyidna ` Umar (رض) purchased the house of Safwan Ibn Umayyah in Makkah for use as prison for the criminals. As for Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) ، both views are attributed to him in different reports, but the hanaff jurists have issued their Fatwa (ruling) in favour of the latter view. (Ruh ul-Ma` ani) This verse mentions certain areas of haram where entry was denied to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and his companions by the infidels of Makkah, but these areas are waqf by consensus of ummah and nobody can be denied access to them.

وَمَن يُرِ‌دْ فِيهِ بِإِلْحَادٍ بِظُلْمٍ (And whoever intends therein to commit deviation with injustice – 22:25.) The word إِلْحَادٍ literally means deviation from the right path. While Mujahid and Qatadah have interpreted this word to mean unbelief and denial of the Oneness of Allah (kufr and shirk) other commentators have given this word its literal meaning which embraces all kinds of sins so much so that even hurling abuses to one’s servant is also included in it.

Sayyidna ` Ata’ (رض) has further enlarged the scope of the meaning of this word by declaring that ilhad within the precincts of haram means entering it without wearing the pilgrims garb (ihram), or violating any of the prohibition inside the haram, such as hunting or cutting down trees within its limits. It needs to be clarified here that all things forbidden by the religious code are forbidden everywhere and will attract punishment wherever committed; and the specific reference to haram in this verse is to emphasize the fact that just as a good deed performed within its limits will be generously rewarded, similarly a sin committed there will attract the most severe punishment. (Mujahid). Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Masud (رض) has related another interpretation of the word ilhad to mean that whereas at any other place the mere intention to commit a sin does not constitute a sin unless it is actually committed, within the limits of the haram even the resolve to commit a sin is punishable, as if it has actually been committed. Qurtubi has adopted this interpretation from Ibn ` Umar (رض) and lends his own support to it. Whenever Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar (رض) went for the pilgrimage, he used to set up two tents – one within the limits of haram and the other outside it. If ever an occasion arose when he needed to scold or rebuke any one of his households, he would do it in the tent which he had set up outside the limits of haram. When people asked him the reason for this, his answer was that the words کلَّا واللہ or بلٰی واللہ            which a person normally uses when angry also constitute إلحَاد فی الحَرَم (committing an act of sin within the precincts of haram). (Mazhari)

Commentary

The previous verse contains a warning of severe punishment to the infidels who prevented the Muslims from entering the Sacred Mosque and the precincts of Haram. This verse describes the eminence and the superior status of the Baitullah which magnifies manifold the evil of their deeds.

The start of founding the structure of the House of Allah (the Holy Ka’bah)

وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ (And [ remember ] when We pointed out for Ibrahim the place of the House – 22:26.) The word بَوَّء literally means ` to assign to someone a place for his residence.’ The verse calls to attention the fact that Allah assigned to Sayyidna Ibrahim   عليه السلام a place where Baitullah was located. There is a hint here that he was not settled there already, since he migrated here from Syria. And a reference to مَکَانَ البَیت (the place of the House) suggests that the House of Allah pre-existed the arrival of Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) ، because according to reliable traditions its first foundations were laid about the time when Sayyidna ‘Adam (عليه السلام) was sent upon the earth and he, and the prophets who came after him, used to make tawaf (circumambulation) around it. At the time of Deluge in the days of Sayyidna Nuh (عليه السلام) its upper-structure was removed but the foundations remained intact. Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) was brought to this place and commanded by Allah Ta’ ala أَن لَّا تُشْرِ‌كْ بِي شَيْئًا (Do not associate with Me any one – 22:26).

It is quite evident that Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) could not commit shirk, because he had himself suffered considerable torment at the hands of polytheists after they accused him of having destroyed their idols. The intention here is to warn the people at large against the great sin of polytheism. The second command was وَطَهِّرْ‌ بَيْتِيَ (purify My House – 22:26), even though the House of Allah did not exist at that time. But the fact of the matter is that Baitullah is not just a structure of bricks and mortar, rather the term encompasses that entire piece of sacred land where Baitullah once stood and whose structure Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) was now commanded to raise once again on the original foundations. As for the command to purify the place, Qurtubi says that in those days the tribes of Jurhum (جُرھَم) and Amalakites (عمالقہ) had placed idols there, which they worshipped. (Qurtubi) Another view is that this command is for the future generations not only to keep the place free from infidelity and polytheism but also to pay special attention to its external cleanliness and purity.

The third command given to Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) was أَذِّن فِي النَّاسِ بِالْحَجِّ (Announce among people about the obligation of Hajj – 22:2’7). Ibn Abi Hatim has related from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) that when Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) was commanded by Allah to make this proclamation, he submitted that the place where he stood was an uninhabited desolate plane with nobody to hear the proclamation whereas he lacked the means to convey it to the populated areas. Allah Ta’ ala then told him that he was required only to make the proclamation and the responsibility for conveying it to the four corners of the world rested with Himself, that is Allah Ta’ ala. Thereupon Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) stood at مقام ابراھیم (Station of Ibrahim) and made the proclamation and Allah Ta’ ala magnified his voice so that it was heard all round the earth. It is also related that he made the proclamation from the top of the mount Abu Qubais (جبل أبی قبَیس). He put his fingers in his ears, turned his face in four directions and called out “0 people! Allah has established His House and made it obligatory upon you to make pilgrimage to it. So obey the command of your Lord.”

It is also mentioned in this narration that Allah Ta’ ala so decreed that the announcement was heard miraculously all over the world, not only by the people living then, but also by all those yet to be born upto the Day of Resurrection. And all those who are destined to perform the pilgrimage responded to the call with the words اللَّھُمَّ لَبَّیک لَبَّیک . Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) says that the Talbiyah during the pilgrimage has its origin in this response to the call of Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) . (Qurtubi, Mazhari)

Further on, the verse describes the tradition which has been established for all times as a result of the proclamation of Sayyidna Ibrahim namely يَأْتُوكَ رِ‌جَالًا وَعَلَىٰ كُلِّ ضَامِرٍ‌ يَأْتِينَ مِن كُلِّ فَجٍّ عَمِيقٍ (22:28) meaning that people will come to Baitullah from the four corners of the earth, some on foot and others on their mounts, which will become lean because of the long distances traversed by them. From that remote time until today, though thousands of years have elapsed, people come to Baitullah to perform pilgrimage, just as they did in the earliest times. All the prophets who came after Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) and their followers strictly observed this tradition. During the long period of ignorance after Sayyidna ` Isa’ (عليه السلام) ، the Arabs, even though they lapsed into the evils of idolatry, yet they continued to perform very faithfully all the rituals of the pilgrimage precisely as they had inherited them from the time of Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) .

لِّيَشْهَدُوا مَنَافِعَ لَهُمْ (So that they witness benefits for them – 22:28) means that the arduous journey undertaken by people to perform pilgrimage is to their own advantage. The use of the word “benefits” as a common noun (without definite article) points to the universal benefits that may be derived from the pilgrimage. Apart from the spiritual rewards, many material profits may also be obtained. It is indeed remarkable that people who sedulously save pennies over long years in order to be able to defray the high expenses involved in performing the Hajj have never become insolvent, whereas many people are known to have become bankrupt as a result of expenses incurred on marriages or on the construction of palatial houses. It is a common knowledge that no one has become a pauper because of spending on Hajj or ` Umrah, rather it has been noticed, according to some narrations, that Allah Ta’ ala has bestowed such a blessing in this worship that many have gained materially after the ritual. As for the spiritual gains, they are many, one being related by Sayyidna Abu Hurairah (رض) in a hadith in which the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said that anyone who performed Hajj in order to gain Allah’s favour and avoided sins and obscene acts will return as immaculate and innocent as a newborn baby. (Bukhari and Muslim) (Mazhari)

In addition to the spiritual and material benefits to be obtained from Hajj mentioned above, there is yet another advantage which may be gained when performing it, which is mentioned in the following sentence: وَيَذْكُرُ‌وا اسْمَ اللَّـهِ فِي أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ عَلَىٰ مَا رَ‌زَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ (so that they may recite Allah’s name, in specified days, over the provision He gave them from the cattle – 22:28). Here it is important to bear in mind that the main object of sacrificing the animals on this occasion is not their meat, but the mention of Allah’s name which is recited while the animal is being slaughtered, which is the essence of the worship. The fact that eating the meat of these animals has been made halal (lawful) for them is an additional reward from Allah. أَيَّامٍ مَّعْلُومَاتٍ (specified days) refer to the 10th, 11th, and 12th days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah when animals may be sacrificed. The words عَلَىٰ مَا رَ‌زَقَهُم مِّن بَهِيمَةِ الْأَنْعَامِ (Over the provision He gave them from the cattle – 22:28) are of general application and include all kinds of sacrifices whether they are obligatory or optional.

فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا So eat there from) Although the word كُلُوا has been used in the imperative mood, it does not mean that eating the meat of these animals is obligatory. Rather, it has been used in the sense that it is permitted and lawful to eat this meat, as it is mentioned in verse وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَادُوا (When you are out of Ihram, you may hunt – 5:2) for granting permission for hunting.

Ruling

Specially during the period of Hajj, and generally at other times too situations arise when animals must be sacrificed in Makkah . There is one kind of sacrifice which is obligatory and performed to expiate a sin such as killing animals within the precincts of حَرَم Haram. Books of jurisprudence describe in detail the kind of animals killed and the type of animals to be slaughtered to atone for each such animal killed unlawfully. Similarly, if a person commits an act which is forbidden, as long as he is in the state of ihram, he too must slaughter an animal.

Jurists call this kind of sacrifice as a دَم الجنَایَہ (sacrifice to atone for a sin). Here also there are specific rules governing each situation. There are certain irregularities which must be expiated by slaughtering a camel or a cow, while in other cases the sacrifice of a goat or sheep is considered sufficient. There are a third kind of irregularities where slaughter of an animal is not necessary, and one can redeem his error by offering sadaqah.

This is not the place to discuss these matters in great detail, but the the necessary information on this subject can be found in my booklet Ahkamul-Hajj (احکَام الحج). When an animal is slaughtered for expiating a sin or an irregular act, its meat can be eaten only by the poor and needy persons and it is not permissible for the person making the slaughter or any rich person to eat this meat, and this view is held by all the jurists. As regards other sacrifices, whether obligatory or voluntary, the person offering the sacrifice, his relatives and friends, even though they may be rich, can eat their meat; and the present verse refers to this kind of sacrifice. Here also it is recommended that one-third of the meat be distributed among the poor and needy. The second part of this verse وَأَطْعِمُوا الْبَائِسَ الْفَقِيرَ‌ (and feed the distressed, the poor

– 22:28) explains this point.

ثُمَّ لْيَقْضُوا (Then, they must remove their dirt – 22:29) The word تَفَث means dirt, which gathers on human body. While a person is in the state of ihram, he cannot shave, trim or pluck his hair, nor can he pare his nails, nor use perfume, and it is quite natural that dirt should collect under his hair and nails and on his body. This verse requires of the pilgrims that after they have performed the sacrifice, they should remove this dirt, meaning thereby that they should now remove the ihram, (and wear their normal clothes) shave their heads and pare their nails. This verse mentions sacrifice first and then refers to the removal of the dirt, which suggests that these two acts must be performed in that order. It is forbidden to shave one’s head or pare nails before the obligatory sacrifice. Anyone who does so must slaughter an animal as دَم dam (to atone for his sin).

Observance of the correct sequence in the performance of various acts related to Hajj

The observance of various functions of Hajj in the same order in which they are mentioned in the Qur’an and hadith, and which have been codified by the jurists is, by consensus, a sunnah. However, opinions differ whether it is obligatory as well. Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) and Imam Malik (رح) hold the view that the observance of the sequence is obligatory and any deviation from it must be atoned for by دَم dam, while according to Imam Shafi’i (رح) it is only sunnah and a deviation from it reduces the reward to be gained by performing Hajj but does not make it obligatory to sacrifice an animal. There is also a ruling of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) مَن قَدَّم شیٔاً من نسکه أو أخّرہ فلیھرق دما (He who alters the sequence of the rites during Hajj must slaughter an animal). (Mazhari) Tahawi has also reported this tradition through different versions. In addition Sayyidna Said Ibn Jubair (رض) ، Qatadah, Nakha` i and Hasan al-Basri also support the view that any alteration in the sequence of the rites of Hajj makes the sacrifice of an animal obligatory. Fuller details on the subject are discussed in the Tafsir Mazhari.

وَلْيُوفُوا نُذُورَ‌هُمْ (And fulfill their vows – 22:29) نُذُور is the plural of the word نَذَر ، which means a ` vow’. When a person commits himself verbally to do an act, in order to win the goodwill of Allah Ta’ ala, (which is not otherwise obligatory on him) it becomes a vow (nadhr) and its performance becomes obligatory for him by consensus of Ummah, provided that the act itself is not sinful or forbidden. If a person makes a vow to do something which is sinful, then he is not bound to fulfill the vow, rather it is impermissible to act upon it, but he must make atonement for the unfulfilled vow. According to Abu Hanifah (رح) and other religious jurists the vow must be of an act which is an act of a direct worship (` ibadah maqsudah) in some manner. So, if someone makes a nadhr (vow) for voluntary prayers, fasting, sadaqah, sacrifice, of animals etc. all these vows must be fulfilled in all circumstances. The present verse emphasizes on this very issue.

Ruling

It must be remembered that a resolve made in one’s heart to do something does not become a nadhr (vow) unless it is pronounced with the tongue. Tafsfr Mazhari has elaborated the rules of nadhr in great detail.

A question and its answer

One may question the relevance of nadhr in the context of Hajj. Obviously the preceding sentences speak of the rules of Hajj, like sacrifice, removing ihram etc. Similarly, the following sentence relates to the tawaf of ziyarah. Why the injunction to fulfill vows has been inserted between the rules of Hajj, while the rules governing vows have an independent status which are to be fulfilled at all times and at every place and not during Hajj only?

A possible explanation for this is that when a person sets out with the intention of performing Hajj, his heart prompts him to do the maximum number of good deeds and to spend the maximum time in prayers, and so he makes many vows, specially it was a common practice to make vows for sacrificing additional animals during Hajj. According to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) the word nadhr in this context means a vow to sacrifice an animal. One relevance of nadhr (vow) appearing with the rites of pilgrimage is that just as vow makes many things obligatory which are not so otherwise and makes many things unlawful for him which are not originally forbidden, similarly the state of ihram, during a pilgrimage makes certain things unlawful for him which are permitted at other times. Instances of these are: wearing stitched clothes, use of perfume, shaving of hair or paring nails. Therefore, Sayyidna ` Ikrimah (رض) has interpreted nadhr in this verse to mean those acts and duties which have become obligatory during the course of Hajj.

وَلْيَطَّوَّفُوا بِالْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ (And they should make tawaf of the ancient House – 22:29) Here the word tawaf refers to tawaf-uz-ziyarah, which is performed on the 10th day of the month of Zil Hijj after casting stones and making the sacrifice. It is the second obligatory ritual of Hajj, the first being wuquf-ul-` Arafat, which is performed earlier. After this tawaf the state of ihram is fully terminated and all restrictions are removed. (Rah ul-Ma ani)

The word الْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ lexically means ‘liberated house’ Baitullah is called الْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ , because according to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) it has been liberated from the control and domination of the infidels and tyrants and it will never again be ruled by them. (رواہ الترمذی وحسنه والحاکم وصححه وابن جریر والطبرانی۔Ruh ul-Ma’ani). It is evident by the episode of the People of Elephant who, with all their might, were frustrated in their attempt to establish their dominion over Makkah.1

1. 1. The other meaning of the word عَتِیق is ‘ancient’ which is adopted in the translation of the text. (Editor)

Commentary

حُرُ‌مَاتِ اللَّـهِ (22:30) are the things sanctified by Allah Ta’ ala, that is the religious laws. They are a source of welfare in this world and in the Hereafter for those pious Muslims who seek to learn them and act upon them.

وَأُحِلَّتْ لَكُمُ الْأَنْعَامُ إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ (And permitted to you are the cattle, except those mentioned to you through recitation (of the verses) – 22:30) The word اَنعَام (cattle) includes camels, cows, goats, sheep etc. which are made lawful at all times and even when one is in the state of ihram. Then the verse contains an exception in the words إِلَّا مَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ (except those mentioned to you.. – 22:30) These are the animals which have been made unlawful in all circumstances, whether one is in the state of ihram or not. The detail of these animals is given in other verses, such as carrion, an animal which is beaten to death, or slaughtered without reciting the name of Allah, or in the name of someone other than Allah.

فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّ‌جْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ (So refrain from the filth of the idols – 22:30) The word رِجس means filth or moral impurity, and أَوْثَانِ is the plural of وَثَن which means idol. Idols have been described as filth, because they fill a man’s heart and soul with moral impurity.

وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ‌ (And refrain from a word of falsehood – 22:30) The phrase قَوْلَ الزُّورِ‌ means lies. Anything which is contrary to truth is a lie and false, whether it is corrupt beliefs and practices or whether it is false evidence. The Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم  once said ` Among the major sins are associating anyone with Allah, disobedience of one’s parents, giving false evidence and telling lies in general talk’. He used the phrase; قَوْلَ الزُّورِ‌ (word of falsehood) repeatedly. (Bukhari)

لَكُمْ فِيهَا مَنَافِعُ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى (And for you there are benefits in them upto a specified time – 22:33). It means that it is lawful for the Muslims to use the quadruped animals for their benefit (such as using their milk, riding them or using them for transport of goods) unless the animals have been made ھَدِی (Hady) by reserving them for sacrifice to be offered within the precincts of haram. When a person takes along with him an animal for the specific purpose of sacrificing it within haram, the animal is described as hady, and no benefit may be derived from it, except in extreme emergency. A person leading a camel after it has been nominated as hady may lawfully ride it only if he is unable to walk and no other mount is available.

ثُمَّ مَحِلُّهَا إِلَى الْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ (Then their place of sacrifice is by the Ancient House – 22:33) Here الْبَيْتِ الْعَتِيقِ includes the entire precincts of haram, as was the case in the previous verse where the word Al-Masjid Al-Haram was used for the entire area of haram, and mahill (place) means the place of slaughtering the animals of hady. Thus the entire haram is declared as the slaughtering place of the animals of hady. The meaning of the verse is that the hady (animals nominated for sacrifice during Hajj) may be slaughtered within, and not outside the area of haram which includes Mina and all other places of Makkah. (Ruh ul Ma ani)

Commentary

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا (And for every Ummah We prescribed the act of sacrifice 22:34) The words مَنسَكً and نسَكً means several things in Arabic such as sacrifice of animals, the rites of pilgrimage, and also worship of Allah Ta’ ala. This word has been used in the Qur’an at several places and conveys one of the three meanings. In the present context, the word can carry all the three meanings. Mujahid and some other commentators think that here the word مَنسَكً refers to the sacrifice of the animals in which case the verse would mean that the obligation to offer sacrifice, which has been placed on this Ummah is nothing new, because all the other peoples were likewise bound to do so. On the other hand, according to Qatadah the word means the rites of the pilgrimage, and thus the verse would mean that these rites which have been prescribed for the present Ummah were made obligatory on the people of earlier ages also. Ibn ` Arafah has interpreted the word مَنسَكً to mean worship of Allah, and so the meaning of the verse would be that the worship of Allah was made obligatory on all the peoples of bygone ages and though there were differences in the forms of worship, yet in essence it remained unchanged.

وَبَشِّرِ‌ الْمُخْبِتِينَ (And give good news to those who turn to Him in humbleness). The word        خَبت means ‘a depressed tract of land’ and means ` a person who deems himself humble and lowly’. According to ` Amr bin Aws مُخْبِتِينَ are those people who do not wrong others and if somebody wrongs them, they do not seek revenge. Sufyan has observed that they are the people who are contented with Allah’s will and remain agreeable in all circumstances, comfort or trouble and poverty or affluence.

وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُم مِّن شَعَائِرِ‌ اللَّـهِ (And the big animals of sacrifice [ like camels ] are made by Us among the symbols of Allah for you – 22:36.) It has been explained earlier that شَعَائِرِ‌ (symbols) mean those special forms of rites and worship, which are the symbols of Islam. Sacrifice of animals is one of them, which must be observed with due importance.

فَاذْكُرُ‌وا اسْمَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَافَّ (So recite the name of Allah over them as they are lined up (for sacrifice) – 22:36) The word صَوَافَّ (translated above as ‘lined up’ ) is used for مَصفوُفہ ، which means standing in a row. According to Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn ` Umar (رض) the verse means that the camel, which is to be slaughtered, should stand on three legs and one foreleg should be bent and tied up. This is a better way of slaughtering a camel and is according to sunnah. Other animals should be slaughtered in lying position, which is also sunnah.

فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا (Then, once their flanks fall down). Here the word      ; وَجَبَتْ is used for the meaning of سَقَطَت ، which means when the animal falls and dies.

الْقَانِعَ وَالْمُعْتَرَّ‌ (the one who is content and the one who wishes to receive) In an earlier verse people who have a right on the meat of sacrificed animals have been described by the words بَایٔس فَقِیر ، which mean destitute and without means. These two words have been clarified further by the words قَانِعَ and مُعْتَرَّ‌. The word قَانِعَ applies to a needy person who does not solicit and is content with what people offer him voluntarily. While مُعْتَرَّ‌is a person who goes to a place where he expects to receive something, whether he solicits verbally or not. (Mazhari)

First command to fight the infidels

The infidels of Makkah intensified their aggression against the Muslims and every day people arrived in Madinah bearing marks of ill-treatment which they had suffered at the hands of unbelievers. In the days before Hijrah the number of the faithful had increased considerably and they sought permission to defend themselves against the oppression to which they were being constantly subjected, but the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) advised them patience because he had not received Allah’s permission so far to resist the infidels with force of arms. This situation persisted for about ten years. (Qurtubi)

At last, things became so bad that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was left with no choice but to leave Makkah. As he started on his journey accompanied by Sayyidna Abu Bakr (رض) he said اخرجوا نبیّھم لیھلکنّ (They have expelled their Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and the time has come when they will perish). When he arrived at Madinah this verse was revealed which permitted the Muslims to take up arms against the infidels. (رواہ النسایٔی والترمذی عن ابن عباس (رض) Qurtubi)

Tirmidhi, Nasa’ i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, Hakim and others have reported on the authority of Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) that this is the first verse which permitted the Muslims to offer armed resistance to the infidels, whereas in more than seventy earlier verses armed resistance was forbidden.

The philosophy behind Jihad and war against the infidels

وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ اللَّـهِ النَّاسَ (And had Allah not repelled some people by means of some others… – 22:40) Had Allah not repelled some people by means of some others, the monasteries, the churches, the synagogues and the mosques where the name of Allah is recited abundantly would have been demolished. The command to take up arms against the unbelievers is nothing new, because the earlier prophets and their followers had received similar orders from Allah Ta’ ala and the philosophy behind this command was that without armed resistance no religion would have felt safe and their places of worship would have been destroyed by the infidels.

There have been many religions which were founded on the worship of one God and built up by means of Wahy (Divine revelations). In course of time their basics were changed and so many alterations were introduced in them that they turned into unbelief and polytheism. But before these things happened, they were true religions and it was the duty of their followers to respect and defend their places of worship. This verse refers to such places of worship only and does not include the sacred places of those religions which were not founded on prophethood and revelation (such as the fire-worshiping Magians, or the idol-worshiping Hindus) because they were at no time considered places deserving of respect.

In this verse صَوَامِعُ is the plural of صَوَمِعُہ ، which means a monastery which is a place of worship meant for Christian monks and hermits بِيَعٌ is the plural of بِیعَۃ ، which means a Christian church, and صَلَوَاتٌ is the plural of صلُوت ، which means a Jewish synagogue. And of course مَسَاجِدُ is the place of worship of the Muslims.

The meaning of this verse is that if at different times the believers had not been permitted to fight the infidels, no true religion would have felt secure and at different times during the periods of Sayyidna Musa (عليه السلام) ، Sayyidna ` Isa (عليه السلام) and the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) the places of worship of their respective religions would have been destroyed. (Qurtubi)

Qur’ anic prophecy about the Rightly Guided Caliphs ( خُلفأے راشدین ) and its fulfillment

الَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ (Those who, when We give them power in the land – 22:41) In this verse the word (those) refers to those people who have been mentioned in the preceding verse: الَّذِينَ أُخْرِ‌جُوا مِن دِيَارِ‌هِم بِغَيْرِ‌ حَقٍّ (Those are the ones who were expelled from their homes without any just reason – 22:40). Referring to such people the verse says that if they are placed in authority in this world, they will use it to promote good deeds, will set up prayers, pay the obligatory charity, enjoin people to do good and abstain from evil deeds. It has already been mentioned that these verses were revealed soon after Hijrah, at a time when the Muslims did not exercise dominion anywhere on earth, which means that Allah Ta’ ala had already made it known that when, at a future date, they would come to power and establish their government, they would serve the Faith in the manner described in this verse. Sayyidna ` Uthmane (رض) said referring to this verse, ثنَا قَبلَ بَلَاء that this verse praises those people before they actually perform the praise-worthy deeds. In due course Allah Ta’ ala’s prophecy was fulfilled in that the four Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Muhajirin (emigrants) from Makkah were indeed those whom the Qur’an described by the words الَّذِينَ أُخْرِ‌جُوا (those who were expelled – 22:40) and when they established their government and held sway over vast territories, they used their power and authority in setting up prayers, strengthening the system of Zakah, enjoining good and forbidding evil deeds. Many scholars are of the view that this verse is a clear evidence of the fact that accession to power of the four Caliphs (خُلفَاے راشدین) is a direct fulfillment of Allah’s Prophesy, and the system of caliphate which was set up by them was in accordance with His will. (Ruh ul-Ma’ ani)

Having discussed the factual aspect of the circumstances leading up to the revelation of this verse it must, at the same time, be emphasized that where the Qur’an uses general words and phrases, their purpose is not restricted to a particular situation, but is universally applicable to all similar situations. Following this reasoning, Dahhak says that this verse contains an injunction for all those whom Allah Ta’ ala grants power and authority to do all those things which the Four Caliphs did when they controlled the rule. (Qurtubi)

How the Day of Resurrection will be equal to one thousand years by our reckoning

In this verseإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِندَ رَ‌بِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ (22:47) means that one day with your Lord is like one thousand years of what you count. This verse can be interpreted in two ways. The first meaning is that the verse refers to the Day of Resurrection and the events which will take place on that day will be so horrifying and of such extreme severity that the day will appear never to end, as if it was equal to one thousand years according to our reckoning. Many commentators have interpreted this verse accordingly.

The other meaning of the verse is that the Day of Resurrection will in actual fact be so long that it will stretch up to one thousand years of this world. This view is supported by a saying of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) as reported in Musnad of Ahmad and Tirmidhi on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurairah (رض) that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) once addressed the poor people of the muhajirin (i.e. those who migrated from Makkah) and said, ` I give you good news about the full refulgence on the Day of Resurrection and that you will be admitted to heaven half a day before the rich and the wealthy, and a day in the Hereafter will be of one thousand years, hence the poor will enter the heaven five hundred years before the wealthy’. Tirmidhi has classified this hadith as ‘hasan’. (Mazhari)

A doubt and its explanation

There is a verse in Surah Al-Ma’arij which says that the day with your Lord will be equal to fifty thousand years كَانَ مِقْدَارُ‌هُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ. (Whereof the measure is fifty thousand yours – 70:4) This can also be explained by applying either of the two explanations of the present verse and in the first case since every person will suffer different levels of severity, to some it will appear as if he has suffered pain for one thousand years, while to others the period will appear equal to fifty thousand years. If, however, the second explanation is applied to this verse, then there would appear to be a contradiction between the verses where one verse equates the Day of Resurrection to one thousand years and the other to fifty thousand years. But this so-called contradiction has been reconciled by Sayyidna Ashraf ` Ali Thanavi (رح))in his commentary Bayan ul-Qur’an, by saying that this difference may be due to different horizons. Just as we see in our world that the length of day and night is different on different horizons, (on zero latitude it is of 24 hours while at the latitude of 900 it is one year. Likewise it is possible that the length of the Day of Resurrection would be different on different horizons, and if its length right below the day line is one thousand years because of miraculously slow rotation of sun or earth), the areas falling 50 times far from it may have a day 50 times more in length. And Allah knows best.

Commentary

مِن رَّ‌سُولٍ وَلَا نَبِيٍّ (any messenger and any prophet – 22:52) This shows that the words Rasul رَّ‌سُولٍ and Nabi carry different meanings, though there is no consensus as to the precise nature of the difference. For our purpose it is enough to understand that Nabi نَبِيٍّ is a person whom Allah Ta’ ala designates with a mission to reform his people and who receives revelations from Him. He may receive a Scripture and a code of laws or he may be commanded to convey the message of an earlier Book and code of laws. Sayyidna Musa (عليه السلام) and ` Isa’ (عليه السلام) belong to the first category, whereas Sayyidna Harun (عليه السلام) ، who was directed to propagate the teachings of Torah and the Mosaic Laws, falls in the second category. On the other hand a Rasul رَّ‌سُولٍ is a person who receives from Allah Ta’ ala a Scripture and a code of laws. Thus every رَّ‌سُولٍ Rasul is necessarily a Nabi also, but every Nabi is not a Rasul. These distinctions are applicable to human beings only. That an angel who carries wahy from Allah Ta’ ala is also named as Rasul does not contradict this position. This subject has already been discussed in detail in Surah Maryam in the beginning of this volume.

أَلْقَى الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أُمْنِيَّتِهِ (The Shaitan cast (doubts) about what he recited – 22:52) In this verse the word تَمَنَّىٰ has been used as a synonym for قَرَأَ thus أُمْنِيَّتِهِ would mean قِرَأت (recitation). This verse explains that the disputes raised by the disbelievers in regard to Allah’s message is not something new as similar doubts were raised by earlier people as well when their prophets presented to them the message of Truth, and the Shaitan cast doubts about it in the hearts of disbelievers. This explanation of the verse is quite clear and straight-forward, and has been adopted by many commentators including Abu Hayyan in his Bahr-ul-Muhit.

However, some books of traditions have reported here an incident which is not proved by authentic sources. The incident is known as حَدِیث الٖغرانیق (hadith-ul¬gharaniq). Some scholars have held that it is invented by some heretics and enemies of Islam. But even those who believe this tradition to be worthwhile have taken pains to remove the doubts, which the words raise about the categorical and undisputed laws of Qur’an and Sunnah. The plain and simple meaning of the verse has been explained above and the alleged incident in no way affects this meaning. Making this incident as a part and parcel of the commentary on this verse, thereby creating unnecessary doubts, and then attempting to answer those doubts is an exercise in futility and absolutely undesirable وَاللہُ سبحانَہُ و تعالیٰ اَعلَم .

Commentary

In an earlier verse it has been mentioned that Allah Ta’ ala helps those who are wronged unjustly وَإِنَّ اللَّـهَ عَلَىٰ نَصْرِ‌هِمْ لَقَدِيرٌ‌ (Allah is powerful to give them victory – 22:39) Some people bear their sufferings patiently and do not seek vengeance from their oppressors, but there are others who retaliate and serve a full measure of retribution on their oppressors which should, therefore, place them both on even terms as being quits. But if the oppressor, incensed at the retaliation, attacks him again, then this person once again becomes the victim of oppression. This verse promises Allah’s help for such a person also. On the other hand there are several verses which promise Allah’s goodwill to those Muslims who bear their sufferings with patience and equanimity and do not seek vengeance from their oppressors. Some of these verses are:

But whoso pardons and puts things right, his wage falls upon Allah – 42:40.

And that you forgive is closer to Taqwa – 2:237.

But surely he who bears patiently and forgives – surely that is true constancy – 42:43.

In all these verses it is encouraged not to retaliate for revenge and rather forgive and forget, which is a magnanimous way of dealing with fellow human beings. This is the way Qur’anic teachings stand and call it a supreme and superior trait. Thus it may perhaps be argued that the person who retaliates against the wrongs done to him and conducts himself contrary to the course of action preferred by Allah Ta’ ala will be deprived of His support and help. But this doubt has been allayed in the final part of this verseإِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ‌ (22:60) that is, Allah will not punish him for this lapse and will help him if he is subjected to injustice by his oppressors ever again. (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani)

Commentary

سَخَّرَ‌ لَكُم مَّا فِي الْأَرْ‌ضِ (Allah has subjugated to you whatever there is on the earth – 22:65) It means that everything on this earth has been placed under the control of man. This raises the question that the mountains, rivers, beasts and birds and thousands of similar objects do not follow the commands of man. But placing something in the service of someone is also like putting it under his control, and in this verse the word Taskhir (subjugation) has been used to mean ` to serve’. The verse therefore means that all the things mentioned above are all the time working in the service of man by the command of Allah. It was quite within the power of Allah Ta’ ala to have placed all these things under the control of man, but in such a situation man himself would have been the loser, because human natures, desires and needs differ. If a person ordered the river to divert towards a particular direction, and some other person ordered to the contrary, the result would have been utter chaos and confusion. Therefore, Allah Ta’ ala has retained with Him alone the command of these things, but the benefits to be derived from them accrue to human beings.

Commentary

لِّكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا (For every ummah (religious community) We have appointed a way of worship – 22:67). This sentence has come earlier in almost identical words in verse number 34 of this Surah, but the word مَنسَكً (mansak) conveys a different meaning in each verse. In the earlier verse the words مَنسَكً and نسَكً have been used in the context of the rites of Hajj and mean sacrifice of animals, while in the present verse the word مَنسَكً has been used in the sense of the rules of slaughter or general rules of worship. That is why, unlike the verse 34, the present verse does not have the conjunctive letter ‘ وَ ‘ (i.e. ‘and’ ) in the beginning.

One interpretation of this verse is that the infidels used to engage the Muslims in futile arguments regarding the slaughter of animals. They thought it odd that Islam permitted its followers to eat the meat of those animals which they slaughtered with their own hands but forbade eating the meat of those animals whom Allah Ta’ ala killed, that is the carrion. The present verse was revealed to answer these objections of the infidels. (Ruh ul-Ma’ ani). Thus the meaning of the word مَنسَكً here would refer to ` the method of slaughter’, and the sum and substance of the verse is that Allah Ta’ ala gave each nation a code of laws, and the rules governing the slaughter of animals are different in each code. The rules of slaughter given to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) are independent and self-sufficient and it is not permissible to compare them. with those of an earlier Shari’ah, let alone comparing them with someone’s own whims and conjectures. As regards the meat of dead animals, it is well known that its oral use was forbidden in all earlier codes. (Ruh u1-Ma` ani) Therefore, it is sheer ignorance to argue with the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) on that basis.

However, majority of commentators has interpreted this verse in another way. They say that the word مَنسَكً            here means the general rules of Shari’ah. Lexically, the word مَنسَكً means a place which is fixed for a

specific purpose, whether the purpose is good or bad, and for this reason the rites of pilgrimage are known as نسَكً , because different rites connected with the pilgrimage have to be performed at places fixed for each rite. (Ibn Kathir). The dictionary meaning of is ` piety and worship of Allah Ta’ a1a’, and the words أَرِ‌نَا مَنَاسِكَنَا (And show us our ways of worship – 2:128) occurring in the Qur’an have been used in this sense Manasik means rules governing worship. Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) has adopted this second interpretation also. Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi, Ruh u1-Ma` ani etc. have adopted this meaning of the word, and the context of the verse also lends support to this interpretation. Having said all this, it is evident that the meaning of this verse would be that the infidels and the polytheists who dispute the Islamic code of laws on the ground that their own ancestral religion did not include those laws must understand very clearly that any comparison between the old book or Shari` ah and the new book or Shari` ah is totally misplaced and irrelevant, because Allah Ta` a1a granted to each nation in its own time a special Shari` ah and a Book which was binding upon it until another book or Shari` ah arrived on the scene after which it becomes the duty of all people to follow the new Shari` ah, and if any of its laws are in conflict with the laws of the old Shari` ah, then the new rules shall prevail and the old laws will stand invalidated, and nobody has the right to raise a dispute on this matter with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، who is the recipient of the latest book and Shari` ah. This is the meaning of the following words of this verse. فَلَا يُنَازِعُنَّكَ فِي الْأَمْرِ‌ (They should never quarrel with you in the matter – 22:67). That is, now that the Holy Prophet has brought a new Book and new code of laws no one has the right to dispute them and create any confusion about them.

This also shows that there is in fact no inconsistency between the two interpretations of this verse. It is quite possible that this verse was revealed with reference to some specific dispute about the slaughter of animals but since, as a general rule, the words must be interpreted in the sense they are understood by the common people and not in reference to a particular event, the words of this verse can be so construed as to apply to all the laws of Shari’ah. The essence of both the interpretations, therefore is, that since Allah Ta’ ala has given each nation its own particular set of rules where differences as to details do exist, the latest set of rules becomes binding on all peoples, and issues relating to these differences cannot be raised. This is the reason why it has been stated at the end of this verse وَادْعُ إِلَىٰ رَ‌بِّكَ إِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ هُدًى مُّسْتَقِيمٍ (And do call them to your Lord. Surely, you are on straight Guidance – 22:67) in which the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has been advised not to take any notice of the machinations and disputes raised by the infidels but to continue with his mission, because he was following the path of righteousness whereas his opponents were steeped in error.

A doubt and its answer

In verse 67 it has been averred that Allah Ta’ ala granted to the earlier nations their own Shari` ah or set of rules, and the Mosaic Code and the Christian Code are instances in point. The Jews and the Christians may, therefore, are that their Codes also being Divine should be allowed to exist alongside of the Islamic Code. But this is a fallacious argument because it is a well established fact that an earlier Shari` ah is cancelled by a subsequent Shari` ah, and this view is reinforced by the following verses in which the infidels who challenge the Islamic Shari` ah have been warned of severe chastisement. وَإِن جَادَلُوكَ فَقُلِ اللَّـهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ (And if they dispute with you, then say, “Allah knows best what you do.” – 22:68)

Commentary

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ارْ‌كَعُوا وَاسْجُدُوا وَاعْبُدُوا رَ‌بَّكُمْ (0 those who believe, bow down in Ruku’ and bow down in Sajdah and worship your Lord – 22:77) Verse 18 of this Surah is a verse of sajdah by consensus of the jurists, which means that whoever recites verse 18 or listens to someone reciting it must offer a sajdah. However, there is a difference of opinion about the present verse. Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik and Sufyan Thauri رحمۃ اللہ علیہم are among those who think that the present verse is not a verse of sajdah in the sense that reciting this verse or listening to it does not entail the obligation to offer a sajdah, because the command to ‘bow down’ in sajdah in the present verse is combined with bowing down in ruku’ and this circumstance is a clear indication that in the present context sajdah means the normal sajdah which is performed during the course of prayers. For example all the scholars are unanimously of the opinion that in the verse (And prostrate and bow down (in Ruku’ ) with those who bow – 3:43) the sajdah is وَاسْجُدِي وَارْ‌كَعِي مَعَ الرَّ‌اكِعِينَ the normal sajdah of the prayers. However, in the context of the present verse Imam Shafi` i and Imam Ahmad) رحمۃ اللہ علیہم hold contrary views and quote a hadith according to which Surah Hajj enjoys a position of greater merit as compared to other Surahs because of two verses of sajdah occurring in it. Imam Abu Hanifah (رح) questions the authenticity of this lhadith.

وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّـهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ (And struggle for (seeking the pleasure of) Allah, a struggle that is due to him – 22:78) The words جِھَاد – (jihad) and مُجَاھِدہ (mujahadah) mean to exert one’s utmost effort to achieve an objective and to take pains for it. (That is why the word is translated above as ‘struggle’ ). While waging war against the infidels the Muslims make supreme efforts, and for this reason it is called jihad, and حَقّ جِھَادہٖ struggle that is due to Him) means that all these efforts and sacrifices should aim solely at winning the favours and goodwill of Allah Ta’ ala, and be free from all considerations of worldly reward, such as fame or spoils of war.

Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) has explained the phrase ‘that is due to Him’ by saying that it is to strive to the utmost, If one’s capacity in the course of jihad, unmindful of all criticism. Some other commentators have explained the word jihad in this verse to mean that one exerts his utmost effort in carrying out the acts of worship and full obedience to rules of Shari` ah in all sincerity. Dahhak and Muqatil have said that a struggle that is due to Him means to act in Allah’s obedience and His worship as due to Him. Sayyidna ` Abdullah Ibn Mubarak (رض) thinks that Jihad means to strive against the temptations (nafs) and its baser desires. Imam Baghawi supports this view on the basis of a hadith which he has from Jabir Ibn ` Abdullah (رض) to the effect that when a group of companions returned from Jihad, the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said قدمتم خیر مقدم من الجھاد الأصغر إلی الجھاد الأکبر قا : مجاددۃ العبد لھواہ (رواہ البیھقی وقال ھذا اسناد فیہ ضعف) (You have returned from a smaller Jihad to a greater Jihad) meaning thereby that the fight against the temptations of self and baser desires never ceases. Baihaqi has also related this hadith but he is of the opinion that it has some weak narrators, Tafsir Mazhari has adopted this latter interpretation and proceeded to say that the Muslims were in fact fighting against the coarse desires of Self even when they were engaged in jihad against the infidels, but the hadith places it after their return from the jihad, The suggestion here is that though the fight against temptations continued even on the battlefield, it could by tradition and usage be brought to fruition only under the watchful eye of a perfect spiritual guide, that is the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) .

The Ummah of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) is the chosen Ummah of Allah Ta’ ala

هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ (He has chosen you – 22:78) Sayyidna Wathilah Ibn Asqa’ (رض) has reported that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) once said, ` Allah chose the Kinanah from the children of Sayyidna Ismail (عليه السلام) ، then He chose the Quraish from the Kinanah, then the Bani Hashim from the Quraish and from amongst the Bani Hashim He chose me’. (Muslim – Mazhari).

وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَ‌جٍ (And did not impose any hardship on you in the religion – 22:78) It means that Allah Ta’ ala has not imposed any hardship upon you in matters of religion. From this some scholars have concluded that in Islam there is no sin which cannot be forgiven and save a person from the punishment of the Day of Resurrection if he repents for it truly. On the other hand, among the earlier nations there were certain sins which could not be forgiven even by offering repentance.

According to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas    ‘ (رض) hardship’ refers to those rigid and harsh laws which applied to the Bani Isra’il and for which the Qur’an uses the words اِصر (burden) and اِغلَال (shackles). Others have interpreted the word haraj (hardship) to mean a hardship which is beyond human endurance. In Islam there are no such laws and rules which are unbearable in themselves, though there are some rules which entail strenuous effort. But such efforts have always been regarded as pre-requisites to success in all human activities. Education, commerce, industry etc. are fields where success depends on unremitting labour but that would not make these tasks impossible to achieve. Sometimes difficulties are experienced due to unfavorable environments or lack of familiarity with the task in hand, but these too cannot be described as hardships and can be overcome by sustained hard work.

Another interpretation given by Qadi Thanaullah in Tafsir Mazhari is that Allah Ta’ ala having chosen the Muslims for His favours from amongst all other nations, they too willingly opt for the severest hardship in the service of Allah and His religion. In such a situation even hardships and difficulties do not deter their resilience and they endure them willingly and happily. There is a hadith related by Sayyidna Anas (رض) in which the Holy Prophet صلی اللہ علیه وسلم said جعلت قرۃ عیني في الصّلٰوۃ (the coolness of my eyes lies in prayers). (Abmad and Nasai).

مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ (The faith of your father Ibrahim – 22:78). It means that this is the nation of your father Ibrahim. These words are addressed to the Quraish who are descended from Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) and all other people following them become entitled to the favours which Allah Ta’ ala has granted to the Quraish. There is a hadith which says:

All people follow Quraish in this faith; the believers follow the believers among the Quraish, and the infidels follow the infidels among them. (Mazhari).

Others say that the words أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ (your father Ibrahim) are addressed to all Muslims in the sense that the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was the spiritual father of All Muslims and had himself descended from Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) .

هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِن قَبْلُ وَفِي هَـٰذَا (He (Allah) named you as Muslims both before and in this Qur’an – 22:78) Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) had named the followers of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and all other believers as Muslims even before the Qur’an, and later in the Qur’an itself, as is evident from his prayer which is recorded in the Qur’an: رَ‌بَّنَا وَاجْعَلْنَا مُسْلِمَيْنِ لَكَ وَمِن ذُرِّ‌يَّتِنَا أُمَّةً مُّسْلِمَةً لَّک (0 our Lord, make us both submissive to you, and of our progeny a people submissive to you – 2:128)

And the name “Muslim” given by the Qur’an to the believers, was, though, not given directly by Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) ، yet since he had suggested this name even before the revelation of the Qur’an, the Holy Qur’an has adopted this name. That is why it is attributed to Sayyidna Ibrahim (عليه السلام) .

لِيَكُونَ الرَّ‌سُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ (So that the Messenger becomes a witness to you and you become witnesses to (other) people – 22:78) On the Day of Resurrection the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) will depose that he had conveyed the commands of Allah Ta’ ala to his Ummah and the Ummah will acknowledge this fact. But when other prophets will make similar depositions, their Ummahs will deny their claims and at that time the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) will come forward and bear witness to the fact that all the prophets had indeed conveyed the commands of Allah Ta’ ala to their respective Ummahs. This evidence will be challenged on the ground that since the Muslim Ummah did not even exist in those earlier times it carried no weight, to which the Muslims will reply that they learned about these matters from their own Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) ، whose truthfulness and integrity was admitted by all. This is the gist of a hadith which Bukhari and others have related on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Said al-Khudri (رض) .

فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ (So establish salah and pay zakah – 22:78) It means that since Allah Ta’ ala has showered on you unlimited benefits, it is your duty also to show your gratitude to Him by striving hard to obey His commands. The two commands relating to prayers and zakah have been specifically mentioned because prayer is the most important among the obligations performed by human body, while zakah is the most important among the commands about wealth, otherwise the idea is that all commands enjoined by Allah Ta’ ala be obeyed and followed.

وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِاللَّـهِ (And hold fast to Allah – 22:78). It means that pious Muslims should place their trust in Allah alone in all their affairs and seek help from none but Him. According to Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas (رض) the sense of these words is that pious Muslims should seek Allah’s protection from all things which are loathsome in this world and in the Hereafter. Others have interpreted these words to mean that good Muslims should hold fast to the Qur’an and Sunnah, and have quoted the following hadith:

“I have left behind two things with you and if you hold fast to them you will never go astray: one is the Book of Allah and the second is the Sunnah of His Rasul.” (Mazhari)

[From Ma’ariful Quran English by Mufti Taqi Uthmani]