Al Islam

c. 54:26. (close)

c. 54:26. (close)

3379. Commentary:

The verse refers to a great obstacle which stands in the way of disbelievers to accept the truth. They simply cannot, they say, persuade themselves to follow the lead of a man just like themselves—rather inferior to them in certain respects. The same subject has been referred to in 43:32 where the Meccan infidels are described as refusing to accept the Message of the Quran on the pretext, "why has not this Quran been sent to some great man of the two towns." (close)

d. 17:101; 52:38. (close)

a. 17:101; 52:38. (close)

3380. Commentary:

In reply to the refusal of disbelievers to accept the Holy Prophet on the plea that he was a mere mortal like them and nothing more, the verse reproachfully asks them: Since when have they arrogated to themselves the possession of the treasures of Divine mercy? It is God’s own special prerogative to select, in His infallible wisdom, whom He deems fit to be the bearer of His Message and the conveyer of His will to His creatures. (close)

2518. Let disbelievers collect all their means and resources against the Holy Prophet and multiply them as much as they can and use them against him. (close)

3381. Commentary:

The present verse continues the argument embodied in the preceding verse and purports to say that disbelievers pose as if the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs to them. Then let them gather, it says, all their means and resources against the Holy Prophet and multiply them as much as they can and use them against him. They will find to their mortification that they cannot arrest or impede the progress of the new Message. (close)

a. 54:46. (close)

2519. The verse at once contains a prophecy and a challenge. The challenge is to the forces of evil to muster all their resources and form themselves into a strong confederacy to stop the onward march of Islam. And the prophecy is to the effect that the combined forces of disbelief shall be put to an ignominious rout if they dared oppose Islam. This mighty prophecy was literally fulfilled in the Battle of the Trench. (close)

b. 54:46. (close)

3382. Important Words:

مھزوم (routed) is derived from ھزم. They say ھزم العدو i.e. he broke and defeated the enemy. ھزم البشر means, he dug the well. ھزم فلاناً means, he killed him. جند مھزوم means, a defeated and broken army (Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse at once contains a prophecy and a challenge. The challenge is to the forces of evil to muster all their resources and form themselves into a strong confederacy to stop the onward march of Islam. And the prophecy is to the effect that the combined forces of disbelief shall be put to an ignominious rout if they dared oppose Islam. This mighty prophecy was literally fulfilled in the Battle of the Ditch. (close)

b. 9:70; 40:32; 50:13. (close)

2520. Autadul-Ard means, mountains; and Autadul-Bilad signifies, the chief men of the towns; and Dhul-Autad signifies, lord of large armies or stakes (Aqrab). (close)

a. 9:70; 40:32; 50:13. (close)

3383. Important Words:

اوتاد (stakes) is the plural of وتد. They say وتد الوتد i.e. he made the peg firm or he drove it into the hole. اوتاد means, tent-pegs, poles, wooden nails; stakes etc. اوتاد الارض signifies, the mountains; اوتاد البلاد means, the chief men of the towns and اوتاد الفم means, the teeth (Aqrab). ذو الاوتاد thus signifies, lord of large armies or stakes or of firmly established dominions. (close)

c. 15:79; 26:177; 50:15. (close)

b. 15:79; 26:177; 50:15. (close)

3384. Commentary:

According to the Quran, اصحاب الایکة (Dwellers of the Wood) and اصحاب مدین (People of Median) are names of the same people, or rather, of two sections of the same people, who had adopted two different kinds of trade, one living on commerce and the other keeping herds of camels and sheep and selling milk, wood, etc. Thus, اصحاب الایکة is a section of the tribe of the Prophet Shu‘aib (26:177, 178), who has also been mentioned as having been sent to the People of Median (7:86, 11:85 & 29:37). (close)

d. 15:80; 26:190; 50:15. (close)

c. 15:80; 26:190; 50:15. (close)

3385. Commentary:

The Meccan disbelievers are here warned that people wealthier and much stronger than they had lived before them. They rejected and opposed their Prophets with the result that they were destroyed. If they (the Meccans) opposed the Holy Prophet they also will meet a similar fate. (close)

2521. Fawaq means, the time between two milkings; the time between two suckings; the returning of the milk into the udder of the she-camel after the milking; the time between the opening of one’s hand and the grasping with it the udder of the she-camel; or when the milker grasps the udder and then lets it go in milking (Lane). (close)

d. 36:50. (close)

3386. Important Words:

فواق (delaying) is derived from فاق. They say فاقت الناقة i.e. the she-camel had in her udder the milk that had collected between two milkings. فواق means, the time between two milkings; the time between two suckings; the returning of the milk into the udder of the she-camel after the milking; the time between the opening of one’s hand and the grasping with it the udder of the she-camel; or when the milker grasps the udder and then lets it go in milking. They say ما أقام عندہ الافواقاً i.e. he did not stay with him but as long as between two milkings of a she-camel i.e. for a very short time (Lane).

Commentary:

The verse means to say that the whole attitude of disbelievers shows that they will not accept the truth till Divine punishment overtakes them, but when it comes, it would be swift and sudden and they would be granted no respite or delay. (close)

e. 17:19. (close)

a. 2:201; 17:19. (close)

3387. Important Words:

قطنا (our portion) is derived from قط (qatta). They say قطه i.e. he cut it. قط القلم means, he nibbed the reed for writing. قطmeans, a slice cut off, a portion, share or lot, an hour or a portion of the night. مضی قط من اللیل means, a portion of the night passed (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse means to say that when disbelievers are warned that if they do not accept the Holy Prophet they will be punished, they turn the warning into an occasion for mocking the Prophet, and jeeringly say, "We demand to have the punishment here and now, and want no more respite." The use of the words "Day of Reckoning" implies that disbelievers will get the punishment when the reckoning of their evil deeds will have been made and they are shown to have fully deserved it. (close)

2522. Prophets David, Solomon and Job possessed great power, influence and wealth and that is why perhaps they have always been mentioned together in the Qur’an (4:164, 6:85 & 21:80-84). (close)

3388. Commentary:

In this and the following several verses the Holy Prophet has been enjoined to bear patiently the jeers and sneers of disbelievers, like Prophets David, Solomon and Job who too had to face mockery and opposition from their enemies. These three Prophets possessed great power, influence and wealth and that is why perhaps they have always been mentioned together in the Quran.

See also 4:164, 6:85 & 21:80-84. (close)