Al Islam

2287. Having referred in the previous few verses to the Unity of God as the basic principle of all religions, this and the next three verses deal with Shirk, i.e. associating false gods with Allah. Polytheists possess no argument whatsoever in support of their false beliefs. Human nature, reason and commonsense all revolt against idolatry. (close)

3015. Commentary:

This verse emphatically declares that polytheists have no argument whatsoever to support and substantiate their polytheistic beliefs. Human nature, reason and common sense all revolt against idolatry and polytheism. (close)

c. 10:22; 41:51, 52; 42:49. (close)

c. 10:22; 41:51-52; 42:49. (close)

3016. Important Words:

یقنطون (are in despair) is formed from قنط which means, he despaired. قانط which is active participle from this root means, one who despairs of God’s mercy. The Arabs say قنط ماءہ عنا i.e. he withheld or debarred his water from us. قنوط (infinitive noun) means, complete despair (Lane & Aqrab). (close)

d. 29:63. (close)

a. See 29:63. (close)

a. 16:91; 17:27. (close)

2288. The words 'his due,' embody a fine principle, viz. that the monetary help which the wealthy people give to their poorer brethren in the form of Zakat, charity or gift, are the latter’s right and due, because they make a substantial contribution to the production of wealth of the rich by their labour (51:20). Wherever the Qur’an commands the believers to give monetary help to the needy and the poor, it invariably uses the word Ati instead of I‘ti. By so doing it seeks to safeguard the self-respect of the poor person who receives charity, because, whereas the latter word expresses the sense of giving, the former expresses that of presenting (Kashshaf). (close)

b. 16:91; 17:27. (close)

3017. Commentary:

After dealing with the all-important subject of the Unity of God and giving strong arguments in refutation of Shirk (polytheism) in the preceding several verses, the Surah, in the verse under comment, proceeds to draw attention to the fact that mere beliefs, principles and ideals, however noble and laudable, do not make a religion complete. It must further possess some practical ordinances among which pride of place is given here to the economic uplift of the less fortunate members of society. The words, "give to the kinsman his due," embody a fine principle, viz. that the monetary help which the wealthy people give to their poorer brethren in the form of Zakah, charity or gift are the latter’s right and due, because in the form of their work and labour they make a substantial contribution to the production of wealth of the rich people. It is also of some interest to note that, besides the verse under comment, wherever the Quran commands the believers to give monetary help to the needy and the poor, it invariably uses the word آت instead of اعط. By so doing it seeks to safeguard the self-respect of the poor person who receives charity, because, whereas the latter word expresses the sense of giving, the former expresses that of presenting (Kashshaf). Elsewhere in the Quran we are told that in the wealth of the rich there is a share for those who ask for help as well as for those who cannot (51:20). In this way Islam safeguards the self-respect and dignity of a poor person even when he is actually receiving monetary help from a rich brother. (close)

b. 2:276, 277. (close)

2289. The verse institutes a contrast between Zakat and interest. Whereas by means of Zakat Islam seeks to improve the miserable lot of the poor, at the same time safeguarding their dignity and self-respect, the institution of interest not only does not better the economic condition of the poor, but actually tends to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. The vast disparity of wealth between different sections of human society, as a result of which a large majority grovels in grinding indigence and penury and a tiny section rolls in unmeasured wealth, is inevitably due to the institution of interest. This verse particularly prohibits taking of interest on money loaned to banks or companies, etc. (close)

a. 2:276; 3:131. (close)

3018. Commentary:

In this verse a contrast has been made between Zakah and interest which institution, according to some people, can help the poor improve their economic condition. By Zakah Islam seeks to improve the miserable lot of the poor, at the same time safeguarding their dignity and self-respect, while the institution of interest not only does not better the economic condition of the poor but on the contrary tends actually to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. The vast disparity of wealth between different sections of human society, as a result of which a large majority grovels in grinding indigence and penury and a tiny section rolls in unmeasured wealth, is inevitably due to the institution of interest. It is on cooperative basis as taught by Islam and not by the giving and taking of interest that the wealth of a community can increase, and it is to this important economic truth that the verse under comment refers. (close)

c. 2:29; 22:67; 40:69; 45:27. (close)

2290. God is our Creator. He is our Sustainer and Provider; and He possesses complete control over life and death—the three very essential attributes that the Supreme Being Who commands and demands our worship must and does possess. (close)

b. 2:29; 22:67; 40:69; 45:27. (close)

3019. Commentary:

Before closing the subject of the Unity of God dealt with in the previous several verses, the Surah summarizes the arguments which support it. They are: (a) God is our Creator; (b) He is our Sustainer and Provider; and (c) He possesses complete control over life and death. These are the three very essential attributes that the Supreme Being Who commands and demands our worship must and does possess. (close)

2291. The main theme of the foregoing verses consisted in engendering and instilling in man belief in an Almighty and All-Powerful God Who creates, regulates and guides all life. In the present verse we are told that when darkness enshrouds the face of the earth and man consigns God to oblivion and gives himself up to the worship of the gods of his own conception and creation, God raises a Prophet to 'bring back the erring flock into the Master’s fold.'

The beginning of the seventh century was an epoch of disintegration— national and social—and religion had become extinct as a moral force and had become reduced to mere ritual and ceremony and the great Faiths of the world had ceased to exert any healthy influence on the lives of their followers. The Holy flames kindled by Zoroaster, Moses and Jesus had been quenched in the blood of man… In the fifth and sixth centuries the civilized world stood on the verge of chaos. It seemed that the great civilization that it had taken four thousand years to construct was on the verge of disintegration… Civilization like a gigantic tree whose foliage had overarched the world and whose branches had borne the golden fruits of art and science and literature, stood tottering, its trunk no longer alive with the flowing sap of devotion and reverence, but rotten to the core ("Emotion as the Basis of Civilization" & "Spirit of Islam").

Such was the condition of mankind when the Holy Prophet Muhammad, humanity’s greatest Teacher appeared on the world’s stage and the most perfect and last Divine Law in the form of the Qur’an was revealed, because a perfect Law could only be revealed when all or most of the evils, particularly those known as root evils, had made their appearance and had become established.

The words 'land and sea,' may signify: (a) Nations whose cultures and civilizations were based purely on reason and collective human experience, and those whose cultures and civilizations were based on Divine revelation; (b) peoples living on the continents and those living in the islands. The verse means that all the nations of the world had become corrupt to the very core politically, socially and morally. (close)

3020. Commentary:

The main theme of the foregoing verses consisted in engendering and instilling in man belief in an Almighty and All-Powerful God, Who creates, regulates and guides all life. In the present verse we are told that when darkness enshrouds the face of the earth and man consigns God to oblivion and gives himself up to the worship of the false gods of his own conception and creation, God raises a Prophet to bring back "the erring flock into the Master’s fold." Such was the condition of mankind when the Holy Prophet Muhammad, humanity’s greatest Teacher, made his appearance. The following quotations support this contention:

"The beginning of the seventh century was an epoch of disintegration—national and social—and religion had become extinct as a moral force and had become reduced to mere ritual and ceremony and the great Faiths of the world had ceased to exert any healthy influence on the lives of their followers. The holy flames kindled by Zoroaster, Moses and Jesus had been quenched in the blood of man…Incessant war for supremacy, perpetual internecine strife, combined with the ceaseless wrangling of creeds and sects, had sucked the lifeblood out of the hearts of nations, and people of the earth, trodden under the iron heels of a lifeless sacerdotalism, were crying to God to deliver them from the misdeeds of their masters. Never in the history of the world was the need so great, the time so ripe for the appearance of a Deliverer ("Spirit of Islam").

In the fifth and sixth Centuries the civilized world stood on the verge of chaos. It seemed that the great civilization that it had taken four thousand years to construct was on the verge of disintegration, and that mankind was likely to return to that condition of barbarism where every tribe and sect was against the next and law and order were unknown. . .It was a time fraught with tragedy. Civilization like a gigantic tree whose foliage had overarched the world and whose branches had borne the golden fruits of art and science and literature, stood tottering, its trunk no longer alive with the flowing sap of devotion and reverence, but rotten to the core". (Emotion as the Basis of Civilization).

The words "land and sea," may signify: (a) such nations as had no experience of Divine revelation and those that believed in heavenly Scriptures; or (b) nations whose cultures and civilizations were based purely on reason and collective human experience and those whose cultures and civilizations were based on Divine revelation; (c) peoples living on the continents and those living in the islands.

The verse means to say that the nations of the world had become corrupt to the very core—politically, socially and morally, and their corruption was the result of "what their hands had wrought." (close)

a. 16:37; 27:70; 40:83. (close)

a. 16:37; 27:70; 40:83. (close)

3021. Commentary:

The verse warns disbelievers that their rejection of the Holy Prophet would lead them to ruin. The fact that the rejection and persecution of Divine Messengers has always resulted in the destruction of the rejecters is writ large on the pages of history. (close)

b. 10:106; 30:31. (close)

b. 10:106; 30:31. (close)

3022. Important Words:

یصدعون (will split up) is derived from صدع (sada‘a). صدعه means, he clove, split or slit it. تصدع القوم means, the people became separated or dispersed. یصدعون means, they will become separated or split up (Lane & Aqrab). (close)

3023. Important Words:

یمھدون (will earn good) is derived from مھد which means, he spread out; he attended to a business and drew profit from it. مھد الامر means, he reformed the affair and made it easy and put it in proper order. مھد لفلان عذرہ means, he accepted the excuse of such a one. مھد لنفسه خیرا means, he provided good for himself and sent it ahead (Aqrab). See also 3:47. (close)