- 1-5. The history of the prophets shows...
- 6-11. The meaningfulness of the universe...
- 12-15. In the course of history, as pres...
- 16-18. The study of this world shows that...
- 19-29. A picture of death and Doomsday...
- 30-35. Who are entitled to the eternal...
- 36-37. Nations of the world progress...
- 38-40. The creation of the heavens and...
- 41-44. No day is fixed for Doomsday...
- 45. It has been recorded in the Quran...
Commentary By Maulana Wahiduddin khan
1-5. The history of the prophets shows…
The history of the prophets shows that their contemporaries were not ready to accept them. It was only in later times that people readily accepted their status as prophets.
The reason for this is that the prophet appears to his contemporaries as ‘a person just like themselves’. They find it surprising that one whom they have always treated as their equal should suddenly become great and start advising them. But, as time passes, a history of greatness becomes attached to the prophet’s name. So, he starts appearing to succeeding generations as a ‘person greater than themselves.’That is why, in later periods people did not find it difficult to accept the prophetic status of a prophet. In other words, to the people of the early days, the prophet was a controversial figure, while to the people of later times he acquired the aura of an established personage. The people of the earlier period had to undertake a journey in consciousness in order to fill the gap between them and the prophet, while in the later period, this gap would have been filled by history itself.
In the eyes of those who entertain doubts about the prophethood of God’s messenger, everything about him becomes doubtful?even those beliefs that are already enshrined in tradition. However, nothing can act as a shield or an excuse for the doubters. If the rejecters of the prophet were simply to consider the inimitable literary majesty of his book, they would be compelled to accept as a prophet the one who brought that book.
6-11. The meaningfulness of the universe…
The meaningfulness of the universe, its creative wisdom, its being free of shortcomings, and its being consistent with human needs compel every thinking and rational man to accept the sublimity of creation, and one who gives serious consideration to the system of the universe, will find the Creator in His creations. He will see a glimpse of the other world (the Hereafter) in this world, because, in fact, the world of the Hereafter is essentially another, more superior form of the present world.
12-15. In the course of history, as pres…
In the course of history, as presented by the Quran, it has happened again and again that as a result of the prophets’ addressees rejecting them, the communities were destroyed. A few of these devastated nations are mentioned here by way of example. The destruction of these peoples is, in fact, a sample of the conditions in the Hereafter. A part of the punishment the rejecters of Truth are destined to receive in the Hereafter is shown here in this world of today.
The first creation of this world proves the possibility of the second creation. If a man is serious, he does not require any further proof, to make him believe in the Hereafter.
16-18. The study of this world shows that…
The study of this world shows that there is an unerring system of ‘recording’ in operation here. Man’s thoughts are impressed on the membrane of his brain. Every utterance a man makes is permanently preserved in the shape of sound waves in the air. Man’s actions are preserved in the external world by means of heat waves in such a way that they can be repeated at any time. All these are known facts of today, and these known facts are what make the Quran’s claim credible that man’s intentions, his utterances and his actions, are all in the knowledge of his Creator. All affairs of all human beings are entered in the registers of the angels.
19-29. A picture of death and Doomsday…
A picture of death and Doomsday thereafter has been drawn in these verses. It shows what will happen to those who, finding themselves free in this world, became arrogant. This pictorial description is so terrible as to cause extreme unease in the minds of all living beings.
30-35. Who are entitled to the eternal…
Who are entitled to the eternal Paradise of God? They are the people who, in this world, went in constant fear of God’s punishment. Those who were afraid before they actually came face to face with their Maker will be the ones who will be safe from fear and grief on that Day, whereas others who knew no fear will be terror-struck. Fear of God creates heavenly attributes in man, while a lack of fear creates the attributes of Hell.
36-37. Nations of the world progress…
Nations of the world progress and rise until they reach their zenith. But, when they are afflicted by God’s scourge, as a result of their misdeeds, they are reduced to such a condition that they cannot find any place in the world to which they can run away or in which they might take refuge. There are great lessons in these events of history. But lessons can be learnt only by one who is mentally alive so that he may derive their unspoken message from events, or by one in whom the capacity to hear is unimpaired, so that when divine messages are conveyed to him, they go straight to the core of his innermost being unimpeded.
38-40. The creation of the heavens and…
The creation of the heavens and the earth in six days, in other words in six stages, indicates that God’s method of doing things is a gradual one. When God, in spite of being the possessor of all Powers, brings things into existence gradually on a longterm basis, man should also desist from making undue haste, but rather try to reach his goals through action marked by patience.
Preaching, from beginning to end, is an act of patience. In this process one has to put up with the bitterness evinced by others, and persevere in one’s task in spite of there being no favourable results in sight. This patience-trying process can be pursued only by one whose days and nights are spent in remembrance of God, who reposes all hope not in human beings but in God and who does not fall a prey to a feeling of frustration, in spite of having lost everything.
In the Bible it is mentioned that God created heaven and earth in six days and rested on the seventh day. This part of the verse ‘…nor were We ever wearied’contradicts and corrects the biblical statement. Rest is taken by one who becomes tired. God does not become tired and, as such, He does not need rest.
41-44. No day is fixed for Doomsday…
No day is fixed for Doomsday. Quite without warning, at the command of Almighty God, the angel Isra’fil will herald its commencement by blowing a trumpet (sur).
Those who are unmindful of God mistakenly imagine Doomsday to be something remote. But a true believer lives in the expectation that at any time the trumpet may be blown and Doomsday will arrive. After the blowing of the trumpet, the shape of heaven and earth will undergo a drastic change and all human beings will be assembled in a new world in order to receive eternal awards, such as befit their respective deeds.
45. It has been recorded in the Quran…
It has been recorded in the Quran, again and again, that the Prophet’s mission was only to convey the message of God to the people and it was not his responsibility to change them. On the other hand, it has been stated in the Quran on more than one occasion that, through him, the Prophet Muhammad, God would cause the religion of Truth to prevail over all other religions.
These two statements, in fact, relate to different aspects of the Prophet Muhammad. From one aspect, he was the messenger of God. From another aspect, he was the ‘last of the prophets.’ As a messenger of God, his mission was the same as that of all other prophets, namely, to convey the Truth to the people in a proper manner. But, as he was the last of the prophets, it was the intention of Almighty God to create such conditions through him that the word of God should remain preserved for all eternity, so that there should be no necessity to send any further prophets. This second aspect of the Prophet necessitated that, through him, a revolution be brought about which should end the dominance of polytheism, thereby establishing Islam as a dominant force which would guarantee the continuance of Divine guidance forever.
