- 1-8. The total clarity of the Quran is...
- 9-16. The subject about which these...
- 17-21. The call for Truth is, in fact...
- 22-29. After prolonged effort on the...
- 30-32. In this world, the downfall of...
- 33-37. In every period the root cause...
- 38-42. If one ponders over the system...
- 43-50. The picture of Hell painted by...
- 51-57. These words paint an idyllic...
- 58-59. The Quran is undoubtedly a...
Commentary By Maulana Wahiduddin khan
1-8. The total clarity of the Quran is…
The total clarity of the Quran is in itself proof of its being the Book of God, and this being so, its tidings and forecasts are also definitive. There is no scope for any doubt about them.
The beginning of the revelation of the Quran took place on a particular night – a night fixed for important godly decisions. The revelation of the Quran was not a simple event. It resulted from a decision regarding the dawn of a new era of history. That is why it was revealed on this specially blessed night. Primarily, the Quran was and still is a declaration of Truth. It came into existence in order to show the falsity of polytheism and the truth of the Unity of God. Most importantly, it provides man with a standard by which to distinguish between truth and falsehood. The Quran was the distinguisher among nations solely on this basis.
9-16. The subject about which these…
The subject about which these addressees of the Quran were in doubt was not the existence of God but the oneness of God. While accepting the existence of God in a traditional manner, they continued to practise the religion of their forefathers and their leaders.
The Quran proved the beliefs of their forefathers to be baseless, but they were not ready to accept this position. On the one hand, they found themselves without supporting arguments while, on the other, they found it impossible to banish from their minds the image of the greatness of their forefathers and leaders. This dual dilemma had pushed them into the realm of doubt. The preacher of God appeared to them too small a person for them to accept, or to act on his advice to abandon their so-called great men.
Those who do not accept the Truth through persuasion expose themselves to the danger of having to accept it under threat of punishment. They may accept it in the latter instance, but at that time their acceptance will be of no avail.
17-21. The call for Truth is, in fact…
The call for Truth is, in fact, a manifestation of God’s power in the shape of reasoning. In this way, God announces Himself through human beings, while He Himself remains unseen. The divine call, therefore, becomes a trial for its addressees. The truth seekers acknowledge it and bow down before it, while those who are enamoured of appearances consider it unimportant and ignore it.
But after rejecting the call to accept the Truth, man cannot avoid facing the consequences. During the lifetime of the Prophet, these ruinous consequences became apparent in this world itself, just as had happened in the case of the Pharaoh of Egypt. Where there was no immediate evidence of such divine retribution, the deniers had to face the consequences of their actions after death.
22-29. After prolonged effort on the…
After prolonged effort on the part of Moses to bring Pharaoh’s people to the right path, by preaching the word of God, his assignment to issue the call for the Truth came to an end. At that time, Moses was instructed to leave Egypt and move out along with his people (the Children of Israel). Accordingly, Moses set out and journeyed until he reached the banks of the Red Sea. The waters parted for him and a path appeared for him to cross over.
Pharaoh and his army were in hot pursuit of Moses and the Children of Israel. When Pharaoh saw a path being formed across the Sea, he thought that he could also cross it, just as Moses had done. But the path across the Sea was not simply a path in the ordinary sense. The waters had parted by the commandment of God and God’s commandment was for the deliverance of Moses and the destruction of Pharaoh. So, when Pharaoh and his army entered the Sea, the waters rushed upon them from either side of the path and rose to their former level. Pharaoh was drowned along with his army.
One who receives the good things of life in this world often considers them as his personal possessions, though in reality, they do not rightly belong to him. God may give them to anybody whenever He wishes, then, taking them away from him, may give them to somebody else, just as He pleases.
30-32. In this world, the downfall of…
In this world, the downfall of one nation and the rise of another do not happen accidentally. Neither does it mean that a cruel nation has, on account of its oppressive methods, subjugated another. All such events take place in accordance with God’s decision, for the trial of man. It is God who, at His discretion, decides upon domination for one and subjection for another. Whatever He decides, it is based on His knowledge and is not arbitrary.
God makes His decisions in accordance with His knowledge, in other words, whatever happens is on the basis of what one deserves. In the light of His total knowledge, God looks at the various peoples and then decides to give dominance to those nations whom He finds deserving: those whom He finds undeserving, He dethrones and commits to subjection.
In the lives of nations, there appear signs to show that whatever fate befell them was by the decision of God. If a man’s insight is keen, he will be able to catch a glimpse of the causes leading to the decisions taken by God in respect of the various nations.
33-37. In every period the root cause…
In every period the root cause of a man’s going astray has been his loss of belief in the life after death. The disbelief of some finds expression in their utterances. Others may not openly express it, but their hearts are devoid of the belief that they have to rise after death and face the reckoning of their deeds before God.
The reason for this misunderstanding is generally that man, in view of his strong position in this world, presumes that he is never going to lose his elevated status, though the history of past nations ought to be enough to dispel this illusion.
Tubba‘ was the title of the Kings of the ancient Himyar tribe of Yemen. These people enjoyed prominence from 300 B.C. to 115 B.C. and their greatness was much talked about in ancient Arabia. The rise and fall of the Tubba‘ people, a piece of history well-known to the initial addressees of the Quran (the Quraysh), gave proof of the fact that the law of ‘crime and punishment’ was prevalent in this world. Similarly, for every community there is a ‘Tubba‘’ which, by its example, teaches them a lesson. But, man is wont to take such occurrences as being nothing out of the ordinary. The result is that he does not learn those lessons which, by God’s will, are latent in events.
38-42. If one ponders over the system…
If one ponders over the system of heaven and earth?indeed, of the entire universe, it will become clear that its creation was effected with a definite purpose. Had this not been so, it would have been impossible in this world for man to build up glorious cultures.
Its entire functioning being meaningful is an indication that it will end also in a meaningful and purposeful way. It is unimaginable that its end could be otherwise. Its end, in reality, will herald the commencement of the life Hereafter. And belief in the Hereafter is but an extension of universal meaningfulness.
The present stage of the world is that of trial. So, everyone finds his share in the meaningfulness of this world. But, in the Hereafter, only those who are actually deserving in the eyes of God, will find a share in the meaningfulness of the afterlife.
43-50. The picture of Hell painted by…
The picture of Hell painted by the Quran here and at other places is sufficient to shake every man who is serious about his future; it will make him rush towards the path of Paradise and away from the path of Hell.
But those who are not serious about the Truth, who pay heed only to their own desires and who do not feel the necessity to consider the world of realities which lies outside their ambitions, will hear this and simply ignore it. For such people, these words will be like water running over a rock without a single drop penetrating its surface.
51-57. These words paint an idyllic…
These words paint an idyllic picture of a world which man sees only in his dreams. Therein lies the existence he most yearns for, but is unable to have it in this present world. Only in Paradise will he enter such a world, and it will be even better than his ‘dream’ world.
This world, free of all kinds of fear, will be open to those who feared God in this world. The life there, which is replete with eternal benefits, will be the reward of those who sacrificed the temporary benefits of this world for its sake. The crowning glories of the Hereafter will be savoured only by those who had the courage to risk their worldly success for higher things.
58-59. The Quran is undoubtedly a…
The Quran is undoubtedly a great book. It is, moreover, a very straightforward book. But its being easy to understand is in direct relation to the desire for guidance. In other words, one who seeks to discover the Truth through it will find it very simple to follow. But for one who is not serious or sincere in his search for Truth, the Quran can be impenetrable.
In the present world one of the conditions for a man’s being serious is that he should not keep putting off his acceptance of the Truth. In other words, the appearance of Truth at the level of reasoning and arguments should be enough to make him accept it. One who does not accept the Truth on its being established at this level, is in effect waiting for the Truth to be laid bare before him. But when the Truth so appears, it does not do so in order to claim acceptance, but to have the accepters appreciate it and the rejecters pushed into the pit of blindness forever.
