تِلۡکَ اٰیٰتُ اللّٰہِ نَتۡلُوۡہَا عَلَیۡکَ بِالۡحَقِّ ؕ وَ اِنَّکَ لَمِنَ الۡمُرۡسَلِیۡنَ ﴿۲۵۳﴾
تِلۡكَ ءَايَٰتُ ٱللَّهِ نَتۡلُوهَا عَلَيۡكَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ
English
These are the Signs of Allah; We recite them unto thee with truth. Surely, thou art one of the Messengers.
English Short Commentary
These are the Signs of Allah. We recite them unto thee with truth. Surely, thou art of the Messengers.
English Five Volume Commentary
These are the Signs of Allah; We recite them unto thee with truth. Surely, thou art one of the Messengers.[259]
259. Commentary:
The story of Talut, Jalut and David has been fittingly concluded by God with the verse under comment to point out that these incidents have been referred to by the Quran not by way of telling a story but as divine signs in order to hint that the Prophet of Islam, being also a Messenger of God, is sure to receive at least the same help and succour as was received by His Messengers of yore. (close)
اُردو
یہ اللہ کی آیات ہیں جو ہم تجھ پر حق کے ساتھ پڑھتے ہیں۔ اور یقیناً تو پیغمبروں میں سے ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
یہ اللہ کی آیات ہیں۔ جنہیں ہم تجھے پڑھ کر سناتے ہیں۔ اس حالت میں کہ تو حق پر (قائم) ہے اور تو یقیناً رسولوں میں سے ہے۔
Français
Voilà donc les Signes d’Allāh. Nous te les récitons avec vérité. Assurément, tu es au nombre des Messagers.
Español
Éstos son los Signos de Al-lah; te los recitamos con verdad. Ciertamente, tú eres uno de los Mensajeros.
Deutsch
Das sind die Zeichen Allahs, Wir verkünden sie dir in Wahrheit. Gewiss, du bist der Gesandten einer.
تِلۡکَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلۡنَا بَعۡضَہُمۡ عَلٰی بَعۡضٍ ۘ مِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ کَلَّمَ اللّٰہُ وَ رَفَعَ بَعۡضَہُمۡ دَرَجٰتٍ ؕ وَ اٰتَیۡنَا عِیۡسَی ابۡنَ مَرۡیَمَ الۡبَیِّنٰتِ وَ اَیَّدۡنٰہُ بِرُوۡحِ الۡقُدُسِ ؕ وَ لَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰہُ مَا اقۡتَتَلَ الَّذِیۡنَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِہِمۡ مِّنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَتۡہُمُ الۡبَیِّنٰتُ وَ لٰکِنِ اخۡتَلَفُوۡا فَمِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ اٰمَنَ وَ مِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ کَفَرَ ؕ وَ لَوۡ شَآءَ اللّٰہُ مَا اقۡتَتَلُوۡا ۟ وَ لٰکِنَّ اللّٰہَ یَفۡعَلُ مَا یُرِیۡدُ ﴿۲۵۴﴾٪
۞تِلۡكَ ٱلرُّسُلُ فَضَّلۡنَا بَعۡضَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ بَعۡضٖۘ مِّنۡهُم مَّن كَلَّمَ ٱللَّهُۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعۡضَهُمۡ دَرَجَٰتٖۚ وَءَاتَيۡنَا عِيسَى ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ ٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ وَأَيَّدۡنَٰهُ بِرُوحِ ٱلۡقُدُسِۗ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا ٱقۡتَتَلَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِم مِّنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَتۡهُمُ ٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتُ وَلَٰكِنِ ٱخۡتَلَفُواْ فَمِنۡهُم مَّنۡ ءَامَنَ وَمِنۡهُم مَّن كَفَرَۚ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَا ٱقۡتَتَلُواْ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفۡعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ
English
These Messengers have We exalted, some of them above others: among them there are those to whom Allah spoke; and some of them He exalted by degrees of rank. And We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and strengthened him with the Spirit of holiness. And if Allah had so willed, those that came after them would not have fought with one another after clear Signs had come to them; but they did disagree. Of them were some who believed, and of them were some who disbelieved. And if Allah had so willed, they would not have fought with one another; but Allah does what He desires.
English Short Commentary
[a]These Messengers have We exalted some of them above others; [b]among them there are those to whom Allah spoke; and [c]some of them He exalted in degrees of rank.[314] And [d]We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and strengthened him with the Spirit of holiness. And if Allah had so willed, those that came after them would not have fought with one another after clear Signs had come to them; but they did disagree. [e]Of them were some who believed, and of them were some who disbelieved. And if Allah had so willed, they would not have fought with one another; but Allah does what He desires.
314. The expression does not mean that there are some Prophets to whom Allah does not speak or that there are some who are not spiritually exalted. It only means that there are two kinds of Prophets: (a) Those who bring a new Law. They are called Mukallam Prophets. (b) Those whose Prophethood consists only in the loftiness of their spiritual ranks. They are Ghair Mukallam Prophets. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that Adam was a Mukallam Prophet (Musnad). (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
[a]These Messengers have We exalted, some of them above others: [b]among them there are those to whom Allah spoke; and [c]some of them He exalted by degrees of rank. And [d]We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and strengthened him with the Spirit of Holiness. And if Allah had so willed, those that came after them would not have fought with one another after clear Signs had come to them; but they did disagree. [e]Of them were some who believed, and of them were some who disbelieved. And if Allah had so willed, they would not have fought with one another; but Allah does what He desires.[260]
260. Important Words:
اقتتلوا and اقتتل (fought with one another) are derived from قتل i.e. he killed. اقتتلوا means, they fought with, and attempted to kill, one another (Aqrab).
Commentary:
This verse supplies an answer to an implied question that naturally arises from the preceding verse. The Prophets that had been raised previous to Islam were sent to particular peoples and their missions were confined to specified periods, but the Holy Prophet was sent to all nations and for all times. Hence it may be argued that the case of David or similar other Leaders who had to deal with certain hostile tribes could not apply to him. God answers this implied question by saying that the previous Prophets also were not all alike, for some of them were greater in rank and had to perform more difficult tasks than others. David, for instance, whose name has just been mentioned as the final link in the chain of the Israelite Prophets and kings who had to contend with their enemies, performed a much greater work than many of his predecessors. So the final victory promised to the Holy Prophet should not appear doubtful in the eyes of the people.
The clause, among them there are those to whom Allah spoke and some of them He exalted by degrees of rank, does not mean that there are some Prophets to whom Allah does not speak or that among them there are those who are not raised in rank. The expression has been used to point out that there are two kinds of Prophets: (1) those who bring a new Law, i.e. those who receive revelation bearing new and direct commandments from God; and (2) those who are not Lawgivers, i.e. those whose prophethood consists only in the loftiness of their spiritual rank. By the word "speaking" therefore is here meant a special kind of speaking, i.e. a revelation which brings a new Law. Thus those Messengers who are represented here as having been "spoken to" by God are the Law-giving Prophets, while those who are spoken of here as having been simply raised in rank are those Messengers of God who are raised to the rank of Prophets without being given any new Law. Of Moses who was a Law-giving Prophet the Quran says: And Allah conversed with Moses particularly and freely (4:165). That there are two kinds of Prophets, (1) مکلم (to whom God speaks particularly), i.e. Lawgivers, and (2) غیر مکلم (to whom God does not speak in that particular manner), i.e. Non-Lawgivers; is also clear from the sayings of the Holy Prophet. For instance, when asked by Abu Dharr whether Adam was a Prophet, the Holy Prophet is reported to have answered, "Yes, he was a مکلم (Mukallam) Prophet" (Musnad). The addition of the word Mukallam to the word Prophet clearly shows that Prophets are of two classes, Mukallam (Lawgivers) and Ghair Mukallam (Non-Lawgivers). Adam was a Lawgiver because it was he who brought the elementary Law.
The Arabic clause منھم من کلم الله و رفع بعضھم درجات may also be rendered as, "Among them there is he to whom Allah spoke and one of them He exalted by degrees of rank." In this case the clause would signify that by the Prophet to whom Allah spoke is meant Moses and by the Prophet whom He exalted by degrees of rank is meant the Holy Prophet to whom God did not only speak, as He speaks to all Prophets, but whom He raised above all others by so many degrees.
The clause, And We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs, does not mean that other Prophets were not granted such proofs. As a matter of fact, all Prophets are given clear proofs and all are strengthened with the Spirit of Holiness; but here God makes particular mention of Jesus in order to refute the objections of the Jews who declared that he had shown no Sign and that he was possessed with an Evil Spirit (Luke 11:15, 16). The Quran declares that Jesus was not an impostor, as the Jews believe, but a true Prophet, and that he was not possessed with the Devil but, like all other holy men, was aided with the Spirit of Holiness. In this connection see also note on 2:88.
The Arabic clause translated as, if Allah had so willed, those that came after them would not have fought with one another, does not mean, as some may wrongly think, that God is the originator of differences. The expression like لوشاء according to the Quranic idiom, does not simply mean "if Allah had willed" but "if Allah had acted according to His will", i.e. if He had enforced His will. In fact, Allah has, in His infinite wisdom, made man free to choose or reject a thing as he likes. That being so, differences are sure to arise among men. But God does not remain a placid on-looker; for whenever differences become vast and acute, He raises a new Reformer. This is why when discord and disagreements began to rend the ranks of the followers of the previous Prophets, God, in accordance with His old law, raised the Holy Prophet of Islam.
The words, Allah does what He desires, further indicate that the infinite wisdom of God demanded that man should be made a free agent. So God does not compel anyone to adopt this course or that. He has given man the power to choose the good or the evil course as he may like and God rewards him accordingly; He does not force anyone to accept the truth; nor should the Faithful. (close)
اُردو
یہ وہ رسول ہیں جِن میں سے بعض کو ہم نے بعض (دوسروں) پر فضیلت دی۔ بعض ان میں سے وہ ہیں جن سے اللہ نے (رُوبرو) کلام کیا۔ اور ان میں سے بعض کو (بعض دوسروں سے) درجات میں بلند کیا۔ اور ہم نے عیسیٰ ابن مریم کو کھلی کھلی نشانیاں دیں اور روح القدس سے اس کی تائید کی۔ اور اگر اللہ چاہتا تو وہ لوگ جو اُن کے بعد آئے آپس میں قتل و غارت نہ کرتے، بعد اِس کے کہ ان کے پاس کھلی کھلی نشانیاں آچکی تھیں۔ لیکن انہوں نے (باہم) اختلاف کئے۔ پس اُن ہی میں سے تھے جو ایمان لائے اور وہ بھی تھے جنہوں نے کفر کیا۔ اور اگر اللہ چاہتا تو وہ باہم قتل و غارت نہ کرتے۔ لیکن اللہ جو چاہتا ہے وہی کرتا ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
یہ (مذکورہ بالا) رسول وہ ہیں جن میں سے ہم نے بعض کو بعض پر فضیلت بخشی تھی۔ ان میں سے بعض ایسے ہیں جن سے اللہ نے کلام کیا۔ اور ان میں سے بعض کے (فقط) درجات بلند کیے اور عیسیٰ بن مریم کو ہم نے کھلے کھلے دلائل دئیے تھے اور روح القدس کے ذریعہ سے اسے طاقت بخشی تھی اور اگر اللہ چاہتا تو جو لوگ ان کے بعد (آئے) تھے وہ کھلے (کھلے) نشانوں کے آنے کے بعد آپس میں نہ لڑتے (جھگڑتے) لیکن (تعجب ہے کہ) انہوں نے (باوجود اس کے) اختلاف کیا۔ چنانچہ ان میں سے بعض تو ایمان لے آئے اور بعض نے انکار کر دیا۔ اور اگر اللہ چاہتا تو یہ لوگ آپس میں نہ لڑتے (جھگڑتے) لیکن اللہ جو چاہتا ہے وہی کرتا ہے۔
Français
Nous avons élevé ces Messagers, certains au-dessus des autres ; et parmi eux il y a ceux à qui Allāh a parlé spécialement ; et Il en a élevé le rang d’autres. Et Nous avons donné des preuves manifestes à Jésus, fils de Marie, et Nous l’avons fortifié par l’Esprit de Sainteté. Et si Allāh l’avait voulu, ceux qui leur ont succédé ne se seraient pas battus entre eux après que des Signes clairs leur soient parvenus, mais ils tombèrent en désaccord. Parmi eux, il y en a qui ont cru et d’autres qui n’ont pas cru. Et si Allāh l’avait voulu, ils ne se seraient pas battus entre eux ; mais Allāh fait ce qu’Il veut.
Español
Éstos son los Mensajeros. Hemos hecho que algunos de ellos superen a otros a los cuales Al-lah habló; y Al-lah hizo que uno de ellos superara a los demás. Y dimos a Jesús, hijo de María, pruebas laras y lo fortalecimos con el Espíritu de santidad. Y si Al-lah lo hubiese querido, los que vinieron después de ellos no hubiesen luchado entre sí después de los Signos claros que les llegaron; pero discreparon. Entre ellos hubo quienes creyeron y otros que no creyeron, y si Al-lah lo hubiese querido, no habrían luchado entre sí; pero Al-lah hace lo que quiere.
Deutsch
Jene Gesandten haben Wir erhöht, einige über die anderen: darunter sind die, zu denen Allah sprach; und einige hat Er erhöht um Rangstufen. Und Wir gaben Jesus, dem Sohn der Maria, klare Beweise und stärkten ihn mit dem Geist der Heiligkeit. Und wäre es Allahs Wille, dann hätten die, welche nach ihnen kamen, nicht miteinander gestritten, nachdem ihnen deutliche Zeichen zuteil geworden; doch sie waren uneins. Es waren solche unter ihnen, die glaubten, und solche, die ungläubig waren. Und wäre es Allahs Wille, sie würden nicht miteinander gestritten haben; doch Allah führt durch, was Er plant.
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اَنۡفِقُوۡا مِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰکُمۡ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ یَّاۡتِیَ یَوۡمٌ لَّا بَیۡعٌ فِیۡہِ وَ لَا خُلَّۃٌ وَّ لَا شَفَاعَۃٌ ؕ وَ الۡکٰفِرُوۡنَ ہُمُ الظّٰلِمُوۡنَ ﴿۲۵۵﴾
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَ يَوۡمٞ لَّا بَيۡعٞ فِيهِ وَلَا خُلَّةٞ وَلَا شَفَٰعَةٞۗ وَٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ هُمُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
English
O ye who believe! spend out of what We have bestowed on you before the day comes wherein there shall be no buying and selling, nor friendship, nor intercession; and it is those who disbelieve that do wrong to themselves.
English Short Commentary
O ye who believe! [f]spend out of what We have bestowed on you before the day comes wherein there shall be no buying and selling,[315] [a]nor friendship,[316] [b]nor intercession,[317] and it is those who disbelieve that do wrong to themselves.
315. On that day salvation will not be had for a price. It will depend only on one’s good works coupled with God’s grace. (close)
316. There will be no occasion for forming new friendships on that day. (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
O ye who believe! [a]spend out of what We have bestowed on you before the day comes wherein there shall be no buying and selling, [b]nor friendship, [c]nor intercession; and it is those who disbelieve that do wrong to themselves.[261]
261. Important Words:
بیع (buying and selling) is derived from باع i.e. he sold; or he bought; or he bartered (Aqrab).
خلة (friendship) is derived from خل. They say خل الشیء i.e. he pierced the thing and made a hole through it. خل فی دعائه means, he was very particular in his prayer. خل الیه means, he was in need of his help and support. خاله means, he made friends with him and took him as brother. خلة is, therefore, that friendship or love which penetrates the heart and takes root in it. خلیل is one whose friendship and love is very deep and sincere; a most loving and bosom friend (Aqrab). The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: "If I had taken anyone as my خلیل I would have taken Abu Bakr as such, but my خلیل is God" (Bukhari, ch. on Manaqibun-Nabi).
شفاعة (intercession). See note on 2:49.
Commentary:
Though, as the preceding verses point out, the final victory of the Holy Prophet of Islam was sure, yet the path before Muslims was not strewn with roses. They had to make great sacrifices in order to reach the goal. It is to this fact that the verse under comment points. It makes particular reference to financial sacrifices.
The words, wherein there shall be no buying and selling, do not mean that there will be no trade and commerce on the Day of Judgement, but that on that great day nobody will be able to buy salvation, which will depend only on one’s good works coupled with God’s grace. The only buying or selling that will be of avail to men on the Day of Judgement will be that which they shall have made in their present life (9:111).
The words, nor friendship, signify that there will be no occasion for forming new friendships on that day. Those, however, who will have taken God as their friend in their life on this earth will certainly benefit by that friendship. It is to this fact that the Quran refers when it says: Friends on that day shall be foes to one another, except the God-fearing(43:68). The righteous have God as their friend, and He will continue to be their friend on the Day of Judgement!
For شفاعة (intercession), see note on 2:49. (close)
اُردو
اے وہ لوگو جو ایمان لائے ہو! خرچ کرو اس میں سے جو ہم نے تمہیں عطا کیا ہے پیشتر اس کے کہ وہ دن آ جائے جس میں نہ کوئی تجارت ہوگی اور نہ کوئی دوستی اور نہ کوئی شفاعت۔ اور کافر ہی ہیں جو ظلم کرنے والے ہیں۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
اے ایمان دارو! جو کچھ ہم نے تمہیں دیا ہے اس میں سے اس دن کے آنے سے پہلے کہ جس میں نہ کسی قسم کی (خریدو) فروخت‘ نہ دوستی اور نہ شفاعت (کارگر) ہوگی (خدا کی راہ میں جو کچھ ہو سکے) خرچ کر لو۔ اور (اس حکم کا) انکار کرنے والے (اپنے آپ پر) ظلم کرنے والے ہیں۔
Français
Ô vous qui croyez, dépensez de ces dons et richesses que Nous vous avons accordés avant l’avènement du jour où il n’y aura ni achat ni vente, ni amitié, ni intercession ; et ce sont les mécréants qui sont les injustes.
Español
¡Oh creyentes! gastad en caridad de lo que os hemos concedido antes de que venga el día en el que no habrá compra ni venta, i amistad, ni intercesión; y son los incrédulos los que se perjudican a ellos mismos.
Deutsch
O die ihr glaubt, spendet von dem, was Wir euch gegeben haben, ehe der Tag kommt, an dem kein Handel gilt, noch Freundschaft noch Fürbitte; die Widerspenstigen aber schaden sich.
اَللّٰہُ لَاۤ اِلٰہَ اِلَّا ہُوَۚ اَلۡحَیُّ الۡقَیُّوۡمُ ۬ۚ لَا تَاۡخُذُہٗ سِنَۃٌ وَّ لَا نَوۡمٌ ؕ لَہٗ مَا فِی السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ مَا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ ؕ مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِیۡ یَشۡفَعُ عِنۡدَہٗۤ اِلَّا بِاِذۡنِہٖ ؕ یَعۡلَمُ مَا بَیۡنَ اَیۡدِیۡہِمۡ وَ مَا خَلۡفَہُمۡ ۚ وَ لَا یُحِیۡطُوۡنَ بِشَیۡءٍ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِہٖۤ اِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ کُرۡسِیُّہُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَ الۡاَرۡضَ ۚ وَ لَا یَـُٔوۡدُہٗ حِفۡظُہُمَا ۚ وَ ہُوَ الۡعَلِیُّ الۡعَظِیۡمُ ﴿۲۵۶﴾
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَيُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٞ وَلَا نَوۡمٞۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِي يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيۡءٖ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفۡظُهُمَاۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ
English
Allah — there is no God but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them; and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases. His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth; and the care of them burdens Him not; and He is the High, the Great.
English Short Commentary
Allah—there is no god save Him, [c]the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. [d]Who is he that dare intercede with Him save by His permission? [e]He knows what is before them and what is behind them; and they encompass nothing of His knowledge[318] except what He pleases. His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth; and the care of them wearies Him not; and He is the High, the Great.
318. Kursiyy means, a throne, a chair, buttress of a wall; knowledge; dominion and power (Aqrab); Karasi is plural, meaning, men of learning. The verse beautifully describes the Unity of God and His great attributes. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that Ayatul-Kursiyy is the loftiest verse of the Qur’an (Muslim). (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
Allah—there is no God but Him, [a]the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. [b]Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission? [c]He knows what is before them and what is behind them; and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases. His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth; and the care of them burdens Him not; and He is the High, the Great.[262]
262. Important Words:
الحی (the Living), of which the verb form is حیی i.e. he lived or he had life, is an attribute of God, signifying that God is the only Being Who is deathless and lives by Himself—He needs no support, He is eternal and everlasting (Mufradat & Lane). This is "life" in the truest sense of the word, and such life is enjoyed by God alone.
القیوم (Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining) is another attribute of God. The word is derived from قام i.e. he stood erect. القیوم means, the Being Who not only stands by Himself, requiring the support of none, but Who supports all others (Mufradat & Aqrab).
سنة (slumber) is the noun-infinitive from وسن i.e. sleep or slumber took hold of him. سنة means, heaviness of limbs and eyes preceding sleep; sleep or slumber itself; negligence or unguardedness (Aqrab)
کرسی (knowledge) is derived from کرس. They say کرس البناء i.e. he raised the walls of a house. کرسی means, a throne or a chair or a stool, in fact, anything used for sitting on; buttress of a wall; knowledge; dominion and power. Hence, الکراسیmeans, men of learning (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
This verse is known as آیة الکرسی (Ayatul-Kursi) and is considered to be one of the most important verses, beautifully describing the Unity of God and His great attributes. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that the Ayatul-Kursi is the loftiest verse in the Quran (Muslim). The verse supplies an answer to an implied question. Even if Muslims made the sacrifices required of them in 2:255, the task before them was so great that, based on worldly calculations, there appeared no hope of success for them. How then is the promised victory to come? The verse under comment provides a telling answer. The world was not without a Master. The destinies of its people were controlled by a Being Whose power was limitless, Whose knowledge knew no bounds, Who was ever vigilant, ever watchful, in Whose hands were the entire resources of the earth and the heavens. If such a Being willed the triumph of a party, who was there to thwart His way? The promised victory must come.
For a detailed treatment of the subject of intercession see note on 2:49. The reason why no one shall be allowed to intercede for any person except with the permission of God is that nobody knows what is in the minds of men and consequently none is in a position to intercede for another. God alone knows the secrets of men’s hearts and hence there can be no intercession except by His permission, for He alone knows who is deserving of it.
The clause, they encompass nothing of His knowledge, means that God’s knowledge is unlimited; while the knowledge of others, whoever they may be, is limited; even Prophets know no more than what is apparent of the spiritual condition of their followers.
The word کرسی (knowledge) may signify either knowledge or power; both give equally good meanings and are almost equally applicable. Allah’s knowledge is as extensive as His power. Knowledge and power are indeed the two great pillars on which the throne of God and, for that matter, the controlling power of everyone in authority rests. (close)
اُردو
اللہ ! اُس کے سوا اور کوئی معبود نہیں۔ ہمیشہ زندہ رہنے والا (اور) قائم باِلذات ہے۔ اُسے نہ تو اُونگھ پکڑتی ہے اور نہ نیند۔ اُسی کے لئے ہے جو آسمانوں میں ہے اور جو زمین میں ہے۔ کون ہے جواس کے حضور شفاعت کرے مگر اس کے اذن کے ساتھ۔ وہ جانتا ہے جو اُن کے سامنے ہے اور جو اُن کے پیچھے ہے۔ اور وہ اُس کے علم کا کچھ بھی احاطہ نہیں کر سکتے مگر جتناوہ چاہے۔ اس کی بادشاہت آسمانوں اور زمین پر ممتد ہے اور ان دونوں کی حفاظت اسے تھکاتی نہیں۔ اور وہ بہت بلند شان (اور) بڑی عظمت والاہے ۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
اللہ وہ (ذات) ہے جس کے سوا پرستش کا (اور) کوئی مستحق نہیں۔ کامل حیات والا (اپنی ذات میں) قائم (اور سب کو) قائم رکھنے والا۔ نہ اسے اونگھ آتی ہے اور نہ نیند (کا وہ محتاج ہے) جو کچھ آسمانوں میں ہے اور جو کچھ زمین میں ہے (سب) اسی کا ہے۔ کون ہے جو اس کی اجازت کے بغیر اس کے حضور میں سفارش کرے۔ جو کچھ ان کے سامنے ہے اور جو کچھ ان کے پیچھے ہے وہ (سب ہی کچھ) جانتا ہے اور وہ اس کی مرضی کے سوا اس کے علم کے کسی حصہ کو (بھی) پا نہیں سکتے۔ اس کا علم آسمانوں پر (بھی) اور زمین پر (بھی) حاوی ہے‘ اور ان کی حفاظت اسے تھکاتی نہیں۔ اور وہ بلند شان (رکھنے) والا (اور) عظمت والا ہے۔
Français
Allāh – il n’y a de dieu que Lui, le Vivant, l’Existant de Lui-Même et de Qui dépend l’existence de chaque chose. Ni l’assoupissement ni le sommeil ne s’emparent de Lui. A Lui appartiennent tout ce qui est dans les cieux et tout ce qui est sur la terre. Qui pourra intercéder auprès de Lui si ce n’est qu’avec Sa permission ? Il sait ce qui est devant eux et ce qui est derrière eux ; et ils ne saisissent de Ses sciences que ce qui Lui plaît. Son Trône s’étend sur les cieux et sur la terre, et leur maintien ne Lui cause aucune peine. Et c’est Lui le Très-Haut, le Grand.
Español
Al-lah: no hay mas Dios que Él, el Viviente, el que Subsiste por Sí mismo y sostiene todo. No se apoderan de Él ni el sopor ni el sueño. A Él pertenece cuanto hay en los cielos y cuanto hay en la tierra. ¿Quién es capaz de interceder ante Él si no es con Su permiso? Él conoce lo que está delante y detrás de ellos; y ellos no abarcan nada de Su ciencia, salvo lo que Él quiere. Su Trono se extiende sobre los cielos y la tierra; y su cuidado no le supone preocupación alguna; y Él es el Altísimo, el Grande.
Deutsch
Allah – es gibt keinen Gott außer Ihm, dem Lebendigen, dem aus Sich Selbst Seienden und Allerhaltenden. Schlummer ergreift Ihn nicht noch Schlaf. Sein ist, was in den Himmeln und was auf Erden ist. Wer ist es, der bei Ihm fürbitten will, es sei denn mit Seiner Erlaubnis? Er weiß, was vor ihnen ist und was hinter ihnen; und sie begreifen nichts von Seinem Wissen, außer was Ihm gefällt. Sein Thron umfasst die Himmel und die Erde; und ihre Erhaltung beschwert Ihn nicht; und Er ist der Erhabene, der Große.
لَاۤ اِکۡرَاہَ فِی الدِّیۡنِ ۟ۙ قَدۡ تَّبَیَّنَ الرُّشۡدُ مِنَ الۡغَیِّ ۚ فَمَنۡ یَّکۡفُرۡ بِالطَّاغُوۡتِ وَ یُؤۡمِنۡۢ بِاللّٰہِ فَقَدِ اسۡتَمۡسَکَ بِالۡعُرۡوَۃِ الۡوُثۡقٰی ٭ لَا انۡفِصَامَ لَہَا ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ سَمِیۡعٌ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۲۵۷﴾
لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِي ٱلدِّينِۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشۡدُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَيِّۚ فَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
English
There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah, has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
English Short Commentary
[a]There is no compulsion[319] in religion. Surely, the right way has become distinct from error; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress,[320] and believes in Allah, [b]has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
319. The injunction (embodied in the preceding verses) to make special sacrifices in the cause of religion and to fight the enemies of Islam was likely to give rise to the misunderstanding that Allah desired Muslims to use force for propagating their religion. This verse removes that misunderstanding and not only forbids Muslims in most emphatic words to use force for converting non-Muslims to Islam, but also gives reasons why force should not be used for this purpose. It is because truth stands out distinct from error, so there has remained no justification for using force. Islam is manifest Truth. (close)
320. Taghut is one who exceeds proper bounds; the Devil; such persons as turn others from the right path; all idols. The word is used both as singular and plural (2:258 & 4:61). (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
[a]There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong; so whosoever refuses to be led by those who transgress, and believes in Allah [b]has surely grasped a strong handle which knows no breaking. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.[263]
263. Important Words:
الطاغوت (those who transgress) is derived from طغا i.e. he transgressed; he exceeded the just limit. Hence طاغوت is primarily one who exceeds the bounds laid down for him. The Devil (i.e. the Evil One) or such men as turn others from the right path as well as all idols come under the word Taghut. The word is used both as singular and plural as in 4:61 and 2:258.
العروة (handle) being derived from عرا means: (1) the handle of a bucket or a mug, etc.; (2) a ring; etc. which is grasped and clung to for support, or anything which serves as a support (3) a pasture that remains green even in time of drought; (4) the best and excellent part of property and wealth (Aqrab).
Commentary:
The injunction to make special sacrifices in the cause of religion and to fight the enemies of Islam who had transgressed against the Faithful was likely to cause the misunderstanding that Allah desired Muslims to use force for propagating their religion. The verse under comment removes this misunderstanding. The object for which Muslims have been commanded to take up arms against the disbelievers is not to force them to accept Islam, but only to check mischief and put a stop to persecution. The verse enjoins Muslims in the clearest and strongest of words not to resort to force for converting non-Muslims to Islam. In the face of this teaching embodied in the words, There should be no compulsion in religion, it is the height of injustice to accuse Islam of countenancing the use of force for the propagation of its teaching.
The verse not only gives the commandment that in no case is force to be resorted to for the purpose of converting non-Muslims to Islam, but also gives the reason why it should not be used, saying: Surely, right has become distinct from wrong, i.e. the true path has become distinct from the wrong one and therefore there is no justification for using force. Islam is a manifest truth. Anyone who sincerely desires to see this truth can easily see it; but if there is a person who does not desire to see it, no force can possibly make him do so. One only needs to point out its beauties to non-Muslims; it rests with them to accept it or reject it as they like. ایـمان or faith, as defined by Islam, consists in believing something with the heart or the mind and expressing that belief with the tongue. No force on earth can bring about that change.
The person who sticks to true faith and shuns false ones is here represented as laying hold of a strong عروہ (‘urwah) which word, as shown above, gives a number of meanings. Taking it in the first-mentioned sense, i.e. the handle of a mug, etc., the Quran compares Islam to the pure life-giving liquid which is put into a mug, and the believer is represented as taking fast hold of the handle thereof. Taking the word in the second sense, i.e. anything which is grasped and clung to for support; the true faith is represented as something on which complete reliance can be placed in all circumstances. If one adheres to it, there is no fear of one’s stumbling or falling down. Following the third significance, i.e. a pasture that remains green even in time of drought, Islam has been likened to a grazing ground the herbage of which is everlasting. There can be no spiritual famine in Islam. Following the last-mentioned meaning of عروة Islam is represented as a storehouse of spiritual treasures that are without equal. (close)
اُردو
دین میں کوئی جبر نہیں۔ یقیناہدایت گمراہی سے کھل کر نمایاں ہوچکی۔ پس جو کوئی شیطان کا انکار کرے اور اللہ پر ایمان لائے تو یقینا اس نے ایک ایسے مضبوط کڑے کو پکڑ لیا جس کا ٹوٹنا ممکن نہیں۔ اور اللہ بہت سننے والا (اور) دائمی علم رکھنے والا ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
دین کے معاملہ میں کسی قسم کا جبر (جائز) نہیں (کیونکہ) ہدایت اور گمراہی کا (باہمی) فرق خوب ظاہر ہو چکا ہے۔ پس (سمجھ لو کہ) جو شخص (اپنی مرضی سے) نیکی سے روکنے والے (کی بات ماننے) سے انکار کرے اور اللہ پر ایمان رکھے تو اس نے (ایک) نہایت مضبوط قابل اعتماد چیز کو جو (کبھی) ٹوٹنے کی نہیں مضبوطی سے پکڑ لیا اور اللہ بہت سننے والا (اور) بہت جاننے والا ہے۔
Français
Point de contrainte en religion. Assurément, le bien s’est distingué du mal ; alors, quiconque refusera de se laisser guider par les transgresseurs et qui croira en Allāh, aura assurément saisi une poignée solide et incassable. Et Allāh entend tout et sait tout.
Español
No ha de existir coacción en la religión. Ciertamente, lo recto ha quedado separado de lo erróneo; así, quien se niegue a ser conducido por los pecadores, y crea en Al-lah, ha agarrado con seguridad una empuñadura fuerte, que no tiene grietas. Y Al-lah es quien todo lo oye, Omnisciente.
Deutsch
Es soll kein Zwang sein im Glauben. Gewiss, Wahrheit ist nunmehr deutlich unterscheidbar von Irrtum; wer also sich von dem Verführer nicht leiten lässt und an Allah glaubt, der hat sicherlich eine starke Handhabe ergriffen, die kein Brechen kennt; und Allah ist allhörend, allwissend.
اَللّٰہُ وَلِیُّ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا ۙ یُخۡرِجُہُمۡ مِّنَ الظُّلُمٰتِ اِلَی النُّوۡرِ۬ؕ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ کَفَرُوۡۤا اَوۡلِیٰٓـُٔہُمُ الطَّاغُوۡتُ ۙ یُخۡرِجُوۡنَہُمۡ مِّنَ النُّوۡرِ اِلَی الظُّلُمٰتِ ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ اَصۡحٰبُ النَّارِ ۚ ہُمۡ فِیۡہَا خٰلِدُوۡنَ ﴿۲۵۸﴾٪
ٱللَّهُ وَلِيُّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يُخۡرِجُهُم مِّنَ ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَوۡلِيَآؤُهُمُ ٱلطَّـٰغُوتُ يُخۡرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ ٱلنُّورِ إِلَى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتِۗ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِۖ هُمۡ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ
English
Allah is the friend of those who believe: He brings them out of every kind of darkness into light. And those who disbelieve, their friends are the transgressors who bring them out of light into every kind of darkness. These are the inmates of the Fire; therein shall they abide.
English Short Commentary
[c]Allah is the friend of those who believe; [d]He brings them out of all kinds of darkness into light. And those who disbelieve, [e]their friends are the transgressors who bring them out of light into manifold darknesses. These are the inmates of the Fire, therein shall they abide.
English Five Volume Commentary
[a]Allah is the friend of those who believe: [b]He brings them out of darkness into light. And those who disbelieve, [c]their friends are the transgressors who bring them out of light into darkness. These are the inmates of the Fire; therein shall they abide.[264]
264. Commentary:
The preceding verse spoke of "truth" and "error" as resulting from belief in Allah and belief in Taghut respectively. The present verse further develops the idea. According to Arabic idiom, the expression, to bring out of darkness into light, means, "to lead to success and happiness not only in the spiritual but also in the physical sense"; and the opposite of it means, "to lead to failure and grief".
The word Taghut, explained under the preceding verse, here mainly refers to such mischievous leaders as turn people away from the right path. Through them disbelievers are being led to failure and grief and are also gradually losing whatever light of faith they possessed before the advent of the Holy Prophet. Their rejection of him has also led them to disown many truths which they acknowledged before. Add to this their deprivation of the light of the new faith and the darkness becomes complete. On the contrary, Islam is not only bringing new light to its adherents but is also bringing them success and happiness. (close)
اُردو
اللہ ان لوگوں کا دوست ہے جو ایمان لائے۔ وہ ان کو اندھیروں سے نور کی طرف نکالتا ہے۔ اور وہ لوگ جنہوں نے کفر کیا ان کے دوست شیطان ہیں۔ وہ ان کو نور سے اندھیروں کی طرف نکالتے ہیں۔ یہی لوگ آگ والے ہیں وہ اس میں لمبا عرصہ رہنے والے ہیں۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
اللہ ان لوگوں کا دوست ہے جو ایمان لاتے ہیں۔ وہ انہیں اندھیروں سے نکال کر روشنی کی طرف لاتا ہے اور جو کافر ہیں ان کے دوست نیکی سے روکنے والے (لوگ) ہیں۔ وہ انہیں روشنی سے نکال کر اندھیروں کی طرف لے جاتے ہیں۔ وہ لوگ آگ (میں پڑنے) والے ہیں۔ وہ اس میں رہیں گے۔
Français
Allāh est l’Ami de ceux qui croient : Il les fait sortir de toutes sortes de ténèbres et les amène vers la lumière. Et ceux qui ne croient pas, leurs amis sont les transgresseurs qui les font sortir de la lumière pour les amener vers toutes sortes de ténèbres. Ceux-là sont les gens du Feu et ils y resteront longtemps.
Español
Al-lah es el amigo de los que creen: los saca de toda clase de tinieblas a la luz. Y respecto a los que no reen, sus amigos son los pecadores que los llevan desde la luz a toda clase de tinieblas. Éstos son los moradores del Fuego; allí habitarán.
Deutsch
Allah ist der Freund der Gläubigen: Er führt sie aus den Finsternissen ans Licht. Die aber nicht glauben, deren Freunde sind die Verführer, die sie aus dem Licht in die Finsternisse führen; sie sind die Bewohner des Feuers; darin müssen sie bleiben.
اَلَمۡ تَرَ اِلَی الَّذِیۡ حَآجَّ اِبۡرٰہٖمَ فِیۡ رَبِّہٖۤ اَنۡ اٰتٰٮہُ اللّٰہُ الۡمُلۡکَ ۘ اِذۡ قَالَ اِبۡرٰہٖمُ رَبِّیَ الَّذِیۡ یُحۡیٖ وَ یُمِیۡتُ ۙ قَالَ اَنَا اُحۡیٖ وَ اُمِیۡتُ ؕ قَالَ اِبۡرٰہٖمُ فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ یَاۡتِیۡ بِالشَّمۡسِ مِنَ الۡمَشۡرِقِ فَاۡتِ بِہَا مِنَ الۡمَغۡرِبِ فَبُہِتَ الَّذِیۡ کَفَرَ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ لَا یَہۡدِی الۡقَوۡمَ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ ﴿۲۵۹﴾ۚ
أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِي حَآجَّ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمَ فِي رَبِّهِۦٓ أَنۡ ءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُلۡكَ إِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمُ رَبِّيَ ٱلَّذِي يُحۡيِۦ وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا۠ أُحۡيِۦ وَأُمِيتُۖ قَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمُ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡتِي بِٱلشَّمۡسِ مِنَ ٱلۡمَشۡرِقِ فَأۡتِ بِهَا مِنَ ٱلۡمَغۡرِبِ فَبُهِتَ ٱلَّذِي كَفَرَۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
English
Hast thou not heard of him who disputed with Abraham about his Lord, because Allah had given him kingdom? When Abraham said, ‘My Lord is He Who gives life and causes death,’ he said, ‘I also give life and cause death.’ Abraham said, ‘Well, Allah brings the sun from the East; bring it thou from the West.’ Thereupon the infidel was dumbfounded. And Allah guides not the unjust people.
English Short Commentary
Hast thou not heard of him who disputed with Abraham about his Lord, because Allah had given him kingdom? When Abraham said, [a]‘My Lord is He Who gives life and causes death,’ he said, ‘I also give life and cause death.’ Abraham said, ‘Well, Allah brings the sun from the East; bring it thou from the West.’ Thereupon the infidel was confounded.[321] And Allah guides not the unjust people.
321. Abraham was a great iconoclast. His people worshipped the sun and the stars, their chief god being Merodach (Madruk), originally the god of the morning and the spring sun (Enc. Bib. & Enc. Rel. Eth.ii.p.296). They believed that all life depended on the sun. Abraham very wisely asked the infidel that if he, as he claimed, controlled life and death, then let him reverse the course of the sun on which all life depended. He was in a fix. He could not say that he could not accept Abraham’s challenge to bring the sun from the West to the East, for that would have demolished his claim of being the controller of life and death, and if he had said that he could do so, it meant that he claimed to exercise control over the sun which would have been a great blasphemy in the eyes of his people who worshipped the sun. Thus he was completely confounded and did not know what to say. (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
Hast thou not heard of him who disputed with Abraham about his Lord, because Allah had given him kingdom? When Abraham said, [d]‘My Lord is He Who gives life and causes death,’ he said, ‘I also give life and cause death.’ Abraham said, ‘Well, Allah brings the sun from the East; bring it thou from the West.’ Thereupon the infidel was dumbfounded. And Allah guides not the unjust people.[265]
265. Commentary:
The preceding verses spoke of the great rise and success in store for Muslims—their being brought out of darkness into light. Now the Quran proceeds to illustrate the promised rise and advancement. It takes us back to the days of Abraham.
An incident in the life of the great Patriarch has been cited to illustrate the truth of the statement made in the previous verse, viz. that God is the friend of believers; He helps them against their enemies and shows them the way of success, leading them out of darkness into light.
Abraham was a native of Ur of the Chaldees. His people worshipped the stars and their chief god was the Sun. Their greatest god was Merodach (or Madruk), who was originally the god of the morning and the spring sun. He was also called Bel, i.e. Lord (Enc. Bib. and Enc. Rel. Eth. ii. 296).
Abraham was hostile to the worship of idols and false deities and vehemently preached against them. He once set fire to a house which contained wooden images. On another occasion, be broke certain idols to pieces and burned them, whereupon he was produced before the king, whose name is recorded as Nimrod (Gen. 10:8, 9 and Jew. Enc. under Abraham) and who was also worshipped by the people as a representative of their deities. The king, it appears, threatened Abraham with ruin and death, to which Abraham firmly and boldly replied that he could do him no harm, for it was His Lord God Who granted life and caused death. As the king laid claim to godhead, he wrathfully rejoined that it was he who exercised these powers. Now Abraham knew that Nimrod and his people believed that all life depended on the sun, so if it was true that it was the king who controlled life and death, it meant that even the sun was under the control of the king and that the final power of life and death attributed by Nimrod and his men to the sun was a mere farce. So he pertinently asked the king to send back the sun from the west to the east (i.e. put it aside), for in such case the sun could not be recognized as the final controlling power. The king was in a fix. He could not say that he did not possess the power to send back the sun, for that would have exposed him. At the same time he could not say that it was he who caused the sun to rise from the east and set in the west, for his people looked upon the sun as the supreme deity, superior to the king himself, and if he had claimed any power over the sun, he would have surely roused the ire of his people against him. So he was dumbfounded and knew not what reply to make. (close)
اُردو
کیا تُو نے اس شخص پر غور کیا جس نے ابراہیم سے اس کے ربّ کے بارہ میں اس بِرتے پر جھگڑا کیا کہ اللہ نے اسے بادشاہت عطا کی تھی۔ جب ابراہیم نے کہا میرا ربّ وہ ہے جو زندہ کرتا ہے اور مارتا بھی ہے۔ اس نے کہا میں (بھی) زندہ کرتا ہوں اورمارتا ہوں۔ ابراہیم نے کہا یقیناً اللہ سورج کو مشرق سے لاتا ہے تُو اسے مغرب سے لے آ، تو وہ جس نے کفر کیا تھا مبہوت ہوگیا۔ اور اللہ ظالم قوم کو ہدایت نہیں دیتا۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
کیا تجھے اس شخص کی خبر نہیں پہنچی جو اس (غرور کی) وجہ سے کہ اللہ نے اسے حکومت دے رکھی تھی ابراہیم سے اس کے رب کے متعلق بحث کرنے لگ گیا تھا (یہ اس وقت ہوا) جس وقت ابراہیم نے (اسے) کہا کہ میرا رب وہ ہے جو زندہ کرتا اور مارتا ہے (اس پر) اس نے کہا (کہ) میں (بھی) زندہ کرتا اور مارتا ہوں۔ ابراہیم نے کہا (کہ اگر یہ بات ہے) تو اللہ (تو) سورج کو مشرق (کی طرف) سے لاتاہے (اب) تو اسے مغرب (کی طرف) سے لے آ۔ اس پر وہ (کافر) مبہوت ہو (کر رہ) گیا۔ اور (یہ ہونا ہی تھا کیونکہ) اللہ ظالم لوگوں کو (کامیابی کی) راہ نہیں دکھاتا۔
Français
N’as-tu pas entendu parler de celui qui se disputait avec Abraham au sujet de son Seigneur, parce qu’Allāh lui avait accordé la souveraineté ? Quand Abraham lui dit : « Mon Seigneur est Celui Qui donne la vie et cause la mort, » il lui répondit : « Moi aussi je donne la vie et je cause la mort. » Abraham lui dit : « Allāh fait venir le soleil de l’est, fais-le donc venir de l’ouest. » Sur ce, l’infidèle resta interloqué ; et Allāh ne guide pas le peuple injuste.
Español
¿No has oído hablar de aquel que disputó con Abraham respecto a su Señor, porque Al-lah le había dado el reino? Cuando Abraham dijo: “Mi eñor es quien da la vida y causa la muerte”, él dijo: “Yo también doy la vida y causo la muerte”. Abraham dijo: “Bien, Al-lah trae el sol desde Oriente, tráelo tú desde Occidente”. El infiel quedó confundido. Y Al-lah no guía a la gente injusta.
Deutsch
Hast du nicht von dem gehört, der mit Abraham über seinen Herrn stritt, weil Allah ihm das Königreich verliehen hatte? Als Abraham sprach: "Mein Herr ist der, Der Leben gibt und tötet", sagte er: "Ich gebe Leben und töte." Abraham sprach: "Wohlan, Allah bringt die Sonne von Osten; bringe du sie von Westen." Da war der Ungläubige bestürzt. Und Allah weist den Ungerechten nicht den Weg.
اَوۡ کَالَّذِیۡ مَرَّ عَلٰی قَرۡیَۃٍ وَّ ہِیَ خَاوِیَۃٌ عَلٰی عُرُوۡشِہَا ۚ قَالَ اَنّٰی یُحۡیٖ ہٰذِہِ اللّٰہُ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِہَا ۚ فَاَمَاتَہُ اللّٰہُ مِائَۃَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَہٗ ؕ قَالَ کَمۡ لَبِثۡتَ ؕ قَالَ لَبِثۡتُ یَوۡمًا اَوۡ بَعۡضَ یَوۡمٍ ؕ قَالَ بَلۡ لَّبِثۡتَ مِائَۃَ عَامٍ فَانۡظُرۡ اِلٰی طَعَامِکَ وَ شَرَابِکَ لَمۡ یَتَسَنَّہۡ ۚ وَ انۡظُرۡ اِلٰی حِمَارِکَ وَ لِنَجۡعَلَکَ اٰیَۃً لِّلنَّاسِ وَ انۡظُرۡ اِلَی الۡعِظَامِ کَیۡفَ نُنۡشِزُہَا ثُمَّ نَکۡسُوۡہَا لَحۡمًا ؕ فَلَمَّا تَبَیَّنَ لَہٗ ۙ قَالَ اَعۡلَمُ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ عَلٰی کُلِّ شَیۡءٍ قَدِیۡرٌ ﴿۲۶۰﴾
أَوۡ كَٱلَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرۡيَةٖ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحۡيِۦ هَٰذِهِ ٱللَّهُ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَاۖ فَأَمَاتَهُ ٱللَّهُ مِاْئَةَ عَامٖ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُۥۖ قَالَ كَمۡ لَبِثۡتَۖ قَالَ لَبِثۡتُ يَوۡمًا أَوۡ بَعۡضَ يَوۡمٖۖ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثۡتَ مِاْئَةَ عَامٖ فَٱنظُرۡ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمۡ يَتَسَنَّهۡۖ وَٱنظُرۡ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجۡعَلَكَ ءَايَةٗ لِّلنَّاسِۖ وَٱنظُرۡ إِلَى ٱلۡعِظَامِ كَيۡفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكۡسُوهَا لَحۡمٗاۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥ قَالَ أَعۡلَمُ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ
English
Or like him who passed by a town which had fallen down upon its roofs, and exclaimed, ‘When will Allah restore it to life after its destruction?’ Then Allah caused him to die for a hundred years; then He raised him, and said: ‘How long hast thou remained in this state?’ He answered, ‘I have remained a day or part of a day.’ He said: ‘Nay, thou hast remained in this state for a hundred years. Now look at thy food and thy drink; they have not rotted. And look at thy ass. And We have done this that We may make thee a Sign unto men. And look at the bones, how We set them and then clothe them with flesh.’ And when this became clear to him, he said, ‘I know that Allah has the power to do all that He wills.’
English Short Commentary
Or hast thou not heard of the like of him who passed by a town[322] which had fallen down upon its roofs and exclaimed, ‘When will Allah restore it to life after its destruction?’ Then Allah caused him to die for a hundred years,[323] then He raised him and said, ‘How long hast thou remained in this state?’ He answered, ‘I have remained a day or part of a day.’[323A] Allah said, ‘It is so but[323B] thou hast also remained in this state for a hundred years.[324] Now look at thy food and thy drink; they have not rotted. And look at thy ass.[325] And We have done this that We may make thee a Sign unto men. And [a]look at the bones, how We set them and then clothe them with flesh.’ And when this became clear to him, he said, ‘I know that Allah has the power to do all that He wills.’[326]
322. The ruined town referred to in the verse is Jerusalem which was laid waste by Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon in 599 B.C. Ezekiel, the Prophet, was among the Jews whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away into captivity to Babylon and who was made to pass by, and witness the ghastly sight of, the devastated town. (close)
323. Ezekiel was naturally shocked at the sad sight and prayed to God in words full of extreme pathos as to when the ruined town would be restored to life. His prayer was heard and he was made to see a vision that the restoration prayed for would take place in a hundred years. The verse does not mean that Ezekiel remained actually dead for a hundred years. Only he saw a vision that he had died and had remained dead for a hundred years and then had come back to life. The Qur’an sometimes mentions scenes seen in a vision as having actually taken place without stating that they were witnessed in a vision or dream (12:5). The vision signified, and Ezekiel understood the significance, that the Children of Israel would remain in the state of captivity and complete national degradation for about a hundred years after which they would receive a new life and would come back to their sacred city. And it actually came to pass as Ezekiel had dreamt. Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchadnezzar in 599 B.C. (2 Kings 24:10). Ezekiel probably saw the vision in 586 B.C. The city was rebuilt about a century after its destruction. Its building started in 537 B.C. by the permission and help of Cyrus, the King of Persia and Midia, and was completed in 515 B.C. It took the Israelites another fifteen years to settle in it and thus virtually a century passed between the destruction of Jerusalem and its restoration to life. It is puerile to think that God actually caused Ezekiel to die and that he remained dead for a hundred years and was then brought back to life; for that would not have been an answer to his prayer, which did not pertain to the death and resurrection of any individual but to that of a town representing a whole people. (close)
323A. The words are intended to express indefiniteness of time (18:20 & 23:114) and mean, according to the Quranic usage, that Ezekiel did not know how long he had remained in that state. Yaum here does not mean a day of 24 hours but time absolutely (see 1:4). The words, I have remained a day or part of a day, may also refer to the time for which Ezekiel slept or the time he took in seeing the vision. Apparently Ezekiel thought that he was being asked about the duration of the time of the vision. (close)
323B. Bal is a particle of digression signifying (a) the cancellation of what precedes as in 21:27, or (b) transition from one object of discourse to another as in 87:17. Here bal has been used in the latter sense. (close)
324. The clause, It is so but thou hast also remained in this state for a hundred years, points out that although in one sense Ezekiel had remained in that state for a hundred years (for he had dreamt that he had been dead for a hundred years), yet the statement that he had tarried for a day or part of a day was also correct, for the actual time spent in seeing the vision was naturally very short. (close)
325. To bring home this fact to the mind of Ezekiel, God directed his attention to his food and drink and his ass. That his food and drink had not rotted and his ass was still alive showed that he had really tarried only for a day or part of it. The words, look at thy ass, also indicate that Ezekiel saw the vision while sleeping in the fields with his ass by his side, for while in captivity, the Israelites were made to work in the fields as farmers. (close)
326. Ezekiel represented in his person the whole Jewish nation. His symbolic death for a hundred years represented their national degradation and sorrows in captivity, for that was the period after which they came to their own. This is how Ezekiel became a Sign. See also Ezekiel, chap. 37. (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
Or like him who passed by a town which had fallen down upon its roofs, and exclaimed, ‘When will Allah restore it to life after its destruction?’ Then Allah caused him to die for a hundred years; then He raised him, and said: ‘How long hast thou remained in this state?’ He answered, ‘I have remained a day or part of a day.’ He said: ‘Nay, thou hast remained in this state for a hundred years. Now look at thy food and thy drink; they have not rotted. And look at thy ass. And We have done this that We may make thee a Sign unto men. And [a]look at the bones, how We set them and then clothe them with flesh.’ And when this became clear to him, he said, ‘I know that Allah has the power to do all that He wills.’[266]
266. Important Word:
خاویة (fallen) is derived from خوی. They say خوی البیت i.e. (1) the house fell down in ruins; (2) the house became empty and untenanted (Aqrab).
عروش (roofs) is the plural of عرش (roof). They say عرش i.e. he built a house. عرش البیت means, he raised the roof of the house. عرش means: (1) the roof of a house; (2) the throne or the ceremonious chair of a king; (3) the pillar, etc. supporting a thing; (4) honour and prowess; (5) leaders and chiefs among men; (6) tent, canopy, shed etc. affordingshade; (7) trellis supporting vines (Aqrab & Lane).
یتسنه (have rotted) is derived from سنه i.e. (1) it passed through a time extending over years; (2) it (food, etc.) became altered and rotten by the lapse of years or absolutely. تسنه gives the same meaning as سنه (Aqrab).
Commentary:
The preceding verse contained one illustration of how Allah brings His friends out of darkness into light. The present verse cites, as hinted in the words, or like him, another illustration of how He breathes new life into a people after they have fallen and become degraded.
The ruined town referred to in the verse is Jerusalem which was laid waste by Nebuchadnezzar. The person who, as the verse says, passed by it was Ezekiel, the Prophet; and the words which had fallen down upon its roofs hint that it was soon after its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar that Ezekiel passed by the town. Ezekiel was among the Israelite captives whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away to Babylon and who, in accordance with an ancient custom, were made to pass by the ruins of the town so that they might witness with their own eyes how their city had been laid in ruins by the conqueror. Ezekiel, who was a great well-wisher of his people, was immensely pained to see the ruins of the sacred city and pathetically asked God when the time would come when the ruined city would be restored to life, i.e. when its inhabitants, the children of Israel, would come back to it, rebuild it and make it prosperous once more. This prayer, it appears, was heard by God Who showed him in a vision that the restoration asked for would come in a hundred years.
The clause then Allah caused him to die for a hundred years does not mean that Ezekiel was actually made to die and then raised to life again. It was, in fact, a vision which Ezekiel saw (Ezek. 37). The Quran sometimes mentions scenes seen in a vision as if they had actually happened, without stating that they were witnessed in a vision or a dream (e.g. 12:5). What actually happened was that Ezekiel saw in a vision that he had died and remained dead for a hundred years and then had come back to life. As he was the representative of his people, his death signified the death of the Israelites. Thus God informed him through this vision that the children of Israel would remain in their state of captivity and lifelessness for a hundred years, after which a new life would be given them and they would return to inhabit their sacred city. And this dream or vision actually turned out to be true. For Jerusalem was first invaded by Nebuchadnezzar in 597 B.C. and again in 587 B.C., when after a long siege the city was totally destroyed by his general in 586 B.C. Ezekiel probably saw the vision in 586 B.C. The city was rebuilt about 100 years after its destruction and thus the vision came true.
It is wrong to think that God actually caused Ezekiel to die and that he remained dead for a hundred years and was then brought back to life; for that would have been no answer to his prayer, which did not pertain to the death and resurrection of any individual but to that of a town which was lying in ruins.
The words, which had fallen down upon its roofs; point out that Ezekiel saw the ruins soon after the destruction (not necessarily the complete and final destruction) of the town when the fallen roofs were still to be seen under the debris of the walls.
The words, I have remained a day or part of a day, are intended to express indefiniteness of time and mean, according to the Quranic usage, that Ezekiel did not know how long he had remained in that state. The words have been used in this sense in another passage of the Quran as well: They said, We have tarried a day or part of a day. Others said, Your Lord knows best the time you have tarried (18:20). Again, They will say, We tarried a day or part of a day, but ask those who keep count (23:114). In fact, یوم (day) here does not mean a day of 24 or 12 hours but time absolutely (see 1:4). The clause, I have remained a day or part of a day, may also refer to the time for which Ezekiel slept or the time he took in seeing the vision or the dream. Apparently Ezekiel thought that he was being asked about the duration of the time of the vision.
The clause, Nay, thou hast remained in this state for a hundred years, points out that although in one sense he had remained in that state for a hundred years (for he had dreamt that he had been dead for a hundred years), yet the statement that he had tarried for a day or part of a day, was also correct, for the time spent in seeing the vision was naturally very short. To bring home this fact to the mind of Ezekiel, God directed his attention to his food and drink and to the ass. That his food and drink had not become stale and that his ass was still alive, showed that he had really tarried only for a short time. The words and look at thy ass also indicate that Ezekiel saw the vision while sleeping in his fields with his ass by his side, for while in captivity the Israelites were made to work in the fields as farmers.
The words that We may make thee a Sign unto men show that Ezekiel was to be made a Sign to men inasmuch as his vision, according to which Jerusalem was to become re-inhabited by the children of Israel, was to come true. The words, look at the bones, are intended to echo the words used by the children of Israel in those days of misery, viz. that they had become like dry bones and there was no hope of their being ever endued with new life (Ezek. 37:11, 12). The words along with the accompanying clause meant that God had power to clothe the bones with flesh and to breathe new life into them. The bones were first to be set or placed in position and thereafter clothed with flesh, i.e. the Israelites, then like dead bones, were first to be brought back to their town and then the process of the clothing of the bones with flesh, i.e. the rebuilding of the town, etc. was to be completed.
The vision of Ezekiel has been mentioned in the Bible in chapter 37 of his book. (close)
اُردو
یا پھر اس شخص کی مثال (پرتُو نے غور کیا؟) جس کا ایک بستی سے گزر ہوا جبکہ وہ اپنی چھتوں کے بل گری ہوئی تھی۔ اس نے کہا اللہ اس کی موت کے بعد اسے کیسے زندہ کرے گا۔ تو اللہ نے اس پر ایک سو سالہ موت (کی سی حالت) وارد کر دی۔ پھر اسے اُٹھایا (اور) پوچھا تو کتنی مدت (اس حالت میں) رہا ہے؟ اس نے کہا میں ایک دن یا دن کا کچھ حصہ رہا ہوں۔ اُس نے کہا بلکہ تُو سو سال رہا ہے۔ پس تو اپنے کھانے اور اپنے مشروب کو دیکھ وہ گلے سڑے نہیں۔ اور اپنے گدھے کی طرف بھی دیکھ۔ یہ (رؤیت) اسلئے ہے کہ ہم تجھے لوگوں کے لئے ایک نشان بنا دیں۔ اور ہڈیوں کی طرف دیکھ کس طرح ہم ان کو اٹھاتے ہیں اور انہیں گوشت پہنا دیتے ہیں۔ پس جب بات اس پر کھل گئی تو اس نے کہا میں جان گیا ہوں کہ اللہ ہر چیز پر جسے وہ چاہے دائمی قدرت رکھتا ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
اور (کیا تو نے) اس شخص کی مثل (کوئی آدمی دیکھا ہے) جو ایک ایسے شہر کے پاس سے گزرا جس کی یہ حالت تھی کہ وہ اپنی چھتوں کے بل گرا ہوا تھا (اس کو دیکھ کر) اس نے کہا کہ اللہ اس کی ویرانی کے بعد اسے کب آباد کرے گا اس پر اللہ نے اسے سو سال (تک خواب میں) مارے رکھا۔ پھر اسے اٹھایا (اور) فرمایا (اے میرے بندے) تو کتنے عرصہ تک (اس حالت میں) رہا ہے۔ اس نے کہا میں (اس حالت میں ایک دن یا دن کا کچھ حصہ رہا ہوں تب اللہ نے) فرمایا (یہ بھی ٹھیک ہے) اور تو (اس حالت میں) سو سال تک بھی رہا ہے۔ اب تو اپنے کھانے اور پینے (کے سامان) کی طرف دیکھ کہ وہ سڑا نہیں اور اپنے گدھے کی طرف (بھی) دیکھ اور ان دونوں کا سلامت رہنا دیکھ کر سمجھ لے کہ تیرا خیال بھی اپنی جگہ درست ہے اور ہمارا خیال (بھی) اور ایسا ہم نے اس لئے کیا ہے تا تجھے لوگوں کے لئے ایک نشان بنائیں۔ اور ہڈیوں کی طرف دیکھ کہ ہم انہیں کس طرح اپنی اپنی جگہ رکھ کر جوڑتے ہیں پھر ہم ان پر گوشت چڑھاتے ہیں۔ پس جب اس پر (حقیقت) پورے طور پر ظاہر ہو گئی تو اس نے کہا کہ میں جانتا ہوں کہ اللہ ہر ایک چیز پر قادر ہے۔
Français
Ou comme celui qui passait par une ville qui s’était effondrée sur ses toits, et s’exclama : « Quand Allāh la fera-t-Il revivre après sa destruction ? » Alors Allāh le fit mourir pour cent ans ; ensuite, Il le ressuscita et lui dit : « Combien de temps es-tu resté dans ce genre de mort ? » Il répondit : « J’y suis resté une journée ou une partie d’une journée. » Alors Allāh lui dit : « Non, tu es resté dans cet état pendant cent ans. Maintenant, regarde tes aliments et ta boisson ; ils ne sont pas gâtés. Et regarde ton âne. Et Nous avons fait cela afin de faire de toi un Signe pour les hommes. Et regarde les os comment Nous les remettons à leur place et ensuite Nous les revêtons de chair. » Et quand tout cela devint clair pour lui, il dit : « Je sais qu’Allāh a le pouvoir de faire tout ce qu’Il veut. »
Español
O como aquel que pasó junto a una ciudad derruida y exclamó: “¿Cuándo le devolverá la vida Al-lah después de su destrucción?”. Entonces Al-lah le hizo morir durante cien años, luego le resucitó y dijo: “¿Cuánto tiempo has permanecido en este estado?”. Él respondió: “He permanecido un día o parte de un día”. Él dijo: “No, has permanecido en este estado durante cien años. Mira tu comida y u bebida; no se han estropeado. Y mira tu asno. Y hemos hecho esto para convertirte en un Signo para los hombres. Y mira los huesos, como los hemos dispuesto y después cubierto de carne”. Y cuando todo esto le quedó claro, dijo: “Sé que Al-lah tiene poder para hacer todo lo que quiere”.
Deutsch
Oder wie jener, der an einer Stadt vorüberkam, die auf ihren Dächern lag, (und) ausrief: "Wann wird Allah diese dem Leben zurückgeben nach ihrem Tod?" Da ließ Allah ihn sterben auf hundert Jahre; dann erweckte Er ihn (und) sprach: "Wie lange hast du geharrt?" Er antwortete: "Ich harrte einen Tag oder den Teil eines Tages." Er sprach: "Nein, du harrtest hundert Jahre lang. Nun blicke auf deine Speise und deinen Trank; sie sind nicht verdorben. Und blicke auf deinen Esel – also, dass Wir dich zu einem Zeichen machen für die Menschen. Und blicke auf die Knochen, wie Wir sie zusammensetzen und dann mit Fleisch überziehen." Als ihm dies klar wurde, sprach er: "Ich weiß, dass Allah die Macht hat, alles zu tun, was Er will."
وَ اِذۡ قَالَ اِبۡرٰہٖمُ رَبِّ اَرِنِیۡ کَیۡفَ تُحۡیِ الۡمَوۡتٰی ؕ قَالَ اَوَ لَمۡ تُؤۡمِنۡ ؕ قَالَ بَلٰی وَ لٰکِنۡ لِّیَطۡمَئِنَّ قَلۡبِیۡ ؕ قَالَ فَخُذۡ اَرۡبَعَۃً مِّنَ الطَّیۡرِ فَصُرۡہُنَّ اِلَیۡکَ ثُمَّ اجۡعَلۡ عَلٰی کُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِّنۡہُنَّ جُزۡءًا ثُمَّ ادۡعُہُنَّ یَاۡتِیۡنَکَ سَعۡیًا ؕ وَ اعۡلَمۡ اَنَّ اللّٰہَ عَزِیۡزٌ حَکِیۡمٌ ﴿۲۶۱﴾٪
وَإِذۡ قَالَ إِبۡرَٰهِـۧمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيۡفَ تُحۡيِ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰۖ قَالَ أَوَلَمۡ تُؤۡمِنۖ قَالَ بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَطۡمَئِنَّ قَلۡبِيۖ قَالَ فَخُذۡ أَرۡبَعَةٗ مِّنَ ٱلطَّيۡرِ فَصُرۡهُنَّ إِلَيۡكَ ثُمَّ ٱجۡعَلۡ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ جَبَلٖ مِّنۡهُنَّ جُزۡءٗا ثُمَّ ٱدۡعُهُنَّ يَأۡتِينَكَ سَعۡيٗاۚ وَٱعۡلَمۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٞ
English
And remember when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, show me how Thou givest life to the dead.’ He said, ‘Hast thou not believed?’ He said, ‘Yes, but I ask this that my heart may be at rest.’ He answered, ‘Take four birds and make them attached to thyself. Then put each of them on a hill; then call them; they will come to thee in haste. And know that Allah is Mighty, Wise.’
English Short Commentary
And remember when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, show me how Thou givest life to the dead.’ God said, ‘Dost thou not believe?’ Abraham said, ‘Yes, but I ask this that my heart may be at ease.’[327] God answered, ‘Take four birds and make them attached[328] to thee. Then put each[329] of them on a hill; then call them; they will come to thee in haste. And know that Allah is Mighty and Wise.’
327. The difference between Iman (belief) and Itminan (the heart being at ease) is that in the former state one simply believes that God can do a thing, while in the latter one receives the assurance that the thing would be done in his case also. Abraham did indeed believe that God could bring the dead to life, but what he desired was his personal satisfaction of knowing that God would do so in the case of his own posterity as well. Referring to the verse under comment, the Holy Prophet is reported to have said, "We are more deserving of entertaining Shak (doubt) than Abraham" (Muslim), the word Shak signifying an intense hidden desire anxiously awaiting fulfilment; for the Holy Prophet never entertained any doubt about any of God’s promises or doings. This shows that Abraham’s question was not prompted by doubt but simply by an anxious desire. (close)
328. Surtul-Ghusna Ilayya means, I inclined the branch towards myself (Lane). The preposition ila determines the significance of the word Surhunna in the sense of inclining or attaching and not cutting. (close)
329. Juz’ means, a part or portion or division of a thing. Thus, if a thing consists of or comprises a group, the word "part" or "division" would signify each member of it.
This is a vision of Abraham. In "taking four birds" the implication was that his posterity would rise and fall four times, which phenomenon was to be witnessed twice among the Israelites, and to be repeated twice among the followers of the Holy Prophet of Islam who was descended from Abraham through Ishmael. The power of the Jews, the progeny of Abraham through Isaac, was crushed twice, first by Nebuchadnezzar and then by Titus (17:5-8; Enc. Brit. under Jews); and each time God raised them after their fall, the second revival having been brought about by Constantine, the Roman Emperor who accepted Christianity. Similarly, the power of Islam, was first rudely shaken when Baghdad fell to the Tartar hordes, but soon it recovered from the crushing blow. The victors became the vanquished and the grandson of Halaku, the despoiler of Baghdad, was converted to Islam. The second fall came later when there was a general and wholesale decline of Muslims both in the spiritual and the political field. The second renaissance of Islam is being brought about by the Promised Messiah. (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
And remember when Abraham said, ‘My Lord, show me how Thou givest life to the dead.’ He said, ‘Hast thou not believed?’ He said, ‘Yes, but I ask this that my heart may be at rest.’ He answered, ‘Take four birds and make them attached to thyself. Then put each of them on a hill; then call them; they will come to thee in haste. And know that Allah is Mighty and Wise.’[267]
267. Important Words:
تحی الموتی (Thou givest life to the dead). For the meaning of حیاة (life) and موت (death) and میت (dead person) see 2:20; 2:29; 2:57 and 2:74.
یطمئن (be at rest) is derived from طمئن. They say طمئن ظھرہ i.e. he bent his back low. طمئن الشیء means, he made the thing calm and set it at rest. اطمأن means, it or he was at rest; it or he became calm after being agitated; it or he became docile and submissive. المطمئن means, (1) one who is calm and tranquil or in a state of rest or ease; that which is motionless and stationary; (2) if used in connection with some piece of land, it means a low-lying, soft piece of land (Aqrab).
صرھن الیك (make them attached to thyself). صرھن is derived from صار with واو as the central root letter. They say صار الشیء الی نفسه i.e. he inclined the thing to himself. صار وجھه الی means, he inclined his face towards me. صرت الغصن لاجتنی الثمر means, I inclined the branch towards myself in order to pluck the fruit. صار with ی as the central root letter, means, he cut a thing, etc. into pieces (Aqrab). The Quran uses here صار with واو as the central root letter as the dammah in صرھن indicates. Moreover, the preposition الی (to) determines the significance of the word in the sense of inclining or attaching and not cutting.
جزء (each) is derived from جزاء. They say جزأ الشیء i.e. he divided the thing into parts. So جزء means, part or portion or division of a thing (Lane). Thus, if a thing consists of, and comprises, a group, the word part or division would signify each member of it.
Commentary:
This verse provides yet another illustration of the process of life and death arranged by God in this world. In other words, the rise of a fallen nation is further discussed. Abraham asked God to show him how He caused a people to come to life after they had become fallen and degraded.
The difference between إیمان (belief) and اطمینان (heart being at rest) is that in the former state one simply believes that God can do a thing, while in the latter one receives the assurance that the thing would be done in his case also. Abraham did indeed believe that God could bring a dead people to life, but what he desired was the personal satisfaction of knowing that He would do so in the case of his own posterity as well; hence the words, so that my heart may be at rest.
The verse proceeds to describe a vision of Abraham. By asking him to take four birds, God hinted that his posterity would rise and fall four times. This rise and fall was witnessed twice among the Israelites, and the same phenomenon was to be repeated among the followers of the Holy Prophet of Islam who was descended from Abraham through Ishmael. The power of the Jews, the progeny of Abraham through Isaac, was crushed twice, first by Nebuchadnezzar and then by Titus (the Quran, 17:5-8; the Bible, II Kings ch. 25 and Enc. Brit. under Jews); and each time God raised them after their fall, the second revival having been brought about by the acceptance of Christianity by the Roman Emperors. As to the power of Islam, it was first rudely shaken when Baghdad fell to the arms of the Tartars, after which it again revived owing to the conquerors being won over to Islam. The second fall came later when there was a general and wholesale decline of Muslims both in the spiritual and the political field. The final rise is being arranged by God through the Ahmadiyya Movement founded by Ahmad, the Promised Messiah.
Referring to the verse under comment, the Holy Prophet is reported to have said, "We are more deserving of entertaining شك than Abraham" (Muslim). Here شك does not mean "doubt" but an intense hidden desire anxiously awaiting fulfilment, for the Holy Prophet never entertained any doubt. This shows that Abraham also never doubted and his question was not prompted by doubt but simply by an anxious desire. He had firm faith in the power of God and fully believed that He could restore a fallen people to prosperity; what he wanted was simply the satisfaction of his hidden desire, i.e. an assurance that God would do so in the case of his people also. The word شك therefore here only means the feeling of anxiety in the mind, or the state of commotion or disturbance of the heart and mind (Lane).
The double fall and subsequent rise of the Israelites and of the posterity of Ishmael making the total number of such phenomena four may be interpreted in another way also. The Israelites were a fallen people before Moses and God raised them through him. They fell again before the time of Jesus and were again given new life through him. Similarly, the Ishmaelites were a fallen people before the advent of the Holy Prophet who gave them new life, and they are again a fallen people now when they are being given a new life by Ahmad, the Promised Messiah.
Many commentators have translated the word صرھن as, "cut them into pieces and mince them", but this is clearly wrong; for as explained under Important Words above صار یصور (with واو as the central root letter) means "inclining" and not "cutting", particularly when it is used with the preposition الی. So the expression صرھن would mean "make them inclined towards thyself", so that they may become attached to thee. In this case the placing of a جزء of the four birds each on a hill would mean, putting each separate bird on a separate hill, and not placing portions of the minced meat thereon. The commandment to place the four birds separately on separate hills is to point to the fact that the rise and fall of the progeny of Abraham would take place at four distinct and separate times. The word جزء has been used in this sense elsewhere also (15:45). (close)
اُردو
اور (کیا تُو نے اس پر بھی غور کیا) جب ابراہیم نے کہا اے میرے ربّ مجھے دکھلا کہ تُو مُردوں کو کیسے زندہ کرتا ہے۔ اُس نے کہا کیا تو ایمان نہیں لا چکا؟ اُس نے کہا کیوں نہیں مگر اس لئے (پوچھا ہے) کہ میرا دل مطمئن ہو جائے۔ اس نے کہا تُو چار پرندے پکڑ لے اور انہیں اپنے ساتھ مانوس کر لے۔ پھر ان میں سے ایک ایک کو ہر پہاڑ پر چھوڑ دے۔ پھر انہیں بُلا، وہ جلدی کرتے ہوئے تیری طرف چلے آئیں گے۔ اور جان لے کہ اللہ کامل غلبہ والا (اور) بہت حکمت والا ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
اور (اس واقعہ کو بھی یاد کرو) جب ابراہیم نے کہا تھا کہ اے میرے رب! مجھے بتا کہ تو مردے کس طرح زندہ کرتا ہے۔ فرمایا کہ کیا تو ایمان نہیں لا چکا؟ (ابراہیم نے) کہا۔ کیوں نہیں (ایمان تو بیشک حاصل ہو چکا ہے) لیکن اپنے اطمینان قلب کی خاطر (میں نے یہ سوال کیا ہے) فرمایا۔ اچھا! تو چار پرندے لے اور ان کو اپنے ساتھ سدھا لے۔ پھر ہر ایک پہاڑ پر ان میں سے ایک (ایک) حصہ رکھ دے۔ پھر انہیں بلا۔ وہ تیری طرف تیزی کے ساتھ چلے آئیں گے اور جان لے کہ اللہ غالب (اور) حکمت والا ہے۔
Français
Et souviens-toi quand Abraham dit : « Mon Seigneur, fais-moi voir comment Tu ressuscites les morts. » Il lui dit : « Ne crois-tu pas ? » Abraham répondit : « Si, maisje demande cela afin d’avoir le cœur tranquille. » Allāh lui répondit : « Prends quatre oiseaux et fais-les s’attacher à toi. Ensuite, mets chacun d’entre eux sur une colline et appelle-les ; ils viendront vers toi à tire d’aile. Et sache qu’Allāh est Puissant, Sage. »
Español
Y acuérdate de cuando Abraham dijo: “Mi Señor; muéstrame cómo le devuelves la vida a los muertos”. Él dijo: “¿Es que no has creído?” Él dijo: “Sí, pero pregunto esto para que mi corazón se tranquilice”. Respondió: “Toma cuatro pájaros y haz que se vinculen a ti. A continuación pon a cada uno de ellos en un monte; llámalos después y verás cómo acuden a ti apresuradamente. Y sabe que Al-lah es Poderoso, Sabio.”
Deutsch
Und (denke daran) wie Abraham sprach: "Mein Herr, zeige mir, wie Du die Toten lebendig machst." Er sprach: "Hast du denn nicht geglaubt?" Er sagte: "Ja, doch, aber um mein Herz zu beruhigen." Er antwortete: "So nimm vier Vögel und mache sie dir anhänglich. Alsdann setze jeden besonders auf einen Berg; dann rufe sie, sie werden eilends zu dir kommen. Und wisse, dass Allah allmächtig, allweise ist."
مَثَلُ الَّذِیۡنَ یُنۡفِقُوۡنَ اَمۡوَالَہُمۡ فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ کَمَثَلِ حَبَّۃٍ اَنۡۢبَتَتۡ سَبۡعَ سَنَابِلَ فِیۡ کُلِّ سُنۡۢبُلَۃٍ مِّائَۃُ حَبَّۃٍ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ یُضٰعِفُ لِمَنۡ یَّشَآءُ ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۲۶۲﴾
مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمۡوَٰلَهُمۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنۢبَتَتۡ سَبۡعَ سَنَابِلَ فِي كُلِّ سُنۢبُلَةٖ مِّاْئَةُ حَبَّةٖۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُضَٰعِفُ لِمَن يَشَآءُۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
English
The similitude of those who spend their wealth for the cause of Allah is like the similitude of a grain of corn which grows seven ears, in each ear a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies it further for whomsoever He pleases; and Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.
English Short Commentary
The [a]similitude of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like the similitude of a grain of corn which grows seven ears, in each ear a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies it further for whomsoever He pleases and Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.[330]
330. In the foregoing verses, it was pointed out that it is a Divine law that God gives new life to deserving nations after they become dead, and the case of the Israelites was mentioned as an instance. It was further indicated that the progeny of Abraham would rise four times, the Israelites and the Ishmaelites each rising twice. In order to prepare Muslims for the promised rise, God reverts to the means of national progress and exhorts the Faithful to spend freely in the cause of God. (close)
English Five Volume Commentary
The [a]similitude of those who spend their wealth for the cause of Allah is like the similitude of a grain of corn which grows seven ears, in each ear a hundred grains. And Allah multiplies it further for whomsoever He pleases; and Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.[268]
268. Commentary:
In the foregoing verses, it was pointed out that it is a law of God that He gives new life to deserving nations after they have become dead, and the case of the Israelites was mentioned as an instance. It was further indicated that the progeny of Abraham would rise four times, the Israelites and the Ishmaelites each rising twice. Now, in order to prepare Muslims for the promised rise, God reverts to the means of national progress and exhorts the Faithful to spend freely in the cause of God, pointing out that their case is like that of a seed which is multiplied 700 times and even more. Thus 700 times is the least reward that will be given to Muslims, and there is no limit to what God will bestow over and above this. History shows that this promise was fulfilled to the very letter; for the reward which God gave to the early Muslims in this world was not only 700 times of what they spent in the cause of Allah but immeasurably greater; and the reward in the world to come will certainly be greater still. (close)
اُردو
ان لوگوں کی مثال جو اپنے مال اللہ کی راہ میں خرچ کرتے ہیں ایسے بیج کی طرح ہے جو سات بالیں اُگاتا ہو۔ ہر بالی میں سو دانے ہوں اور اللہ جسے چاہے (اس سے بھی) بہت بڑھا کر دیتا ہے۔ اور اللہ وسعت عطا کرنے والا (اور) دائمی علم رکھنے والا ہے۔
اُردو تفسیر صغیر
جو لوگ اپنے مالوں کو اللہ کی راہ میں خرچ کرتے ہیں ان (کے اس فعل) کی حالت اس دانہ کی حالت کے مشابہ ہے جو سات بالیں اگائے (اور) ہر بالی میں سو دانہ ہو۔ اور اللہ جس کے لئے چاہتا ہے‘ (اس سے بھی) بڑھا (بڑھا کر) دیتا ہے اور اللہ وسعت دینے والا (اور) بہت جاننے والا ہے۔
Français
La similitude de ceux qui dépensent leurs biens pour la cause d’Allāh est comme la similitude d’un grain qui produit sept épis, et chaque épi contient cent grains. Et Allāh le multiplie davantage pour celui qu’Il veut et Allāh est Munificent, Omniscient.
Español
Los que emplean sus bienes en la causa de Al-lah son semejantes a un grano de trigo que da siete espigas, y en cada espiga hay cien granos. Y Al-lah lo multiplica aún más para quien Le place; y Al-lah es Magnánimo, Omnisciente.
Deutsch
Die ihr Gut hingeben für Allahs Sache, sie gleichen einem Samenkorn, das sieben Ähren treibt, hundert Körner in jeder Ähre. Allah vermehrt (es) weiter, wem Er will; und Allah ist huldreich, allwissend.