SURAH (27) AN-NAML (AYA 41 to 60)

قَالَ نَكِّرُوا لَهَا عَرْشَهَا نَنْظُرْ أَتَهْتَدِي أَمْ تَكُونُ مِنَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ {27:41}

[Q27:41] Qaala nakkiroo lahaa 'arshahaa nanzur atahtadeee am takoonu minal lazeena laa yahtadoun. 
[Q27:41] He said: Alter her throne for her, we will see whether she follows the right way or is of those who do not go aright.

[Q27:41] Nabi Sulaiman berkata pula (kepada orang-orangnya): Ubahkanlah keadaan singgahsananya itu, supaya kita melihat adakah ia dapat mencapai pengetahuan yang sebenar (untuk mengenal singgahsananya itu) atau ia termasuk dalam golongan yang tidak dapat mencapai pengetahuan yang demikian.  

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:41) Solomon said, *50 "Se her throne before her casually; let us see whether she reaches the truth, or she is one of those who are not guided aright." *51

*50 As to how the queen reached Jerusalem and how she was received, has been omitted. The story is resumed from the time when she had arrived at the palace to see Prophet Solomon. 
*51 This is a meaningful sentence, which means: (1) "Whether she understands or not that it is her own throne which has been fetched in no time from her capital to distant place like Jerusalem;" and also (2) "whether she is guided aright after seeing this wonderful miracle, or persists in her error." This refutes the wrong idea of the people who say that the Prophet Solomon intended to take possession of the throne. Here he himself clearly says that he had done this in order to help the queen see Guidance. 

فَلَمَّا جَاءَتْ قِيلَ أَهَٰكَذَا عَرْشُكِ ۖ قَالَتْ كَأَنَّهُ هُوَ ۚ وَأُوتِينَا الْعِلْمَ مِنْ قَبْلِهَا وَكُنَّا مُسْلِمِينَ {27:42}

[Q27:42] Falammaa jaaa'at qeela ahaakaza 'arshuki qaalat kaanna hoo; wa ooteenal 'ilma min qablihaa wa kunnaa Muslimeen. 
[Q27:42] So when she came, it was said: Is your throne like this? She said: It is as it were the same, and we were given the knowledge before it, and we were submissive.

[Q27:42] Maka ketika dia datang mengadap, Nabi Sulaiman bertanya kepadanya: Serupa inikah singahsanamu? Dia menjawab: Boleh jadi inilah dia dan kami telah diberikan ilmu pengetahuan sebelum berlakunya (mukjizat) ini dan kami pula adalah tetap berserah diri (menjunjung perintah ALLAH (SwT)). 

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:42) When the queen arrived, she was asked, "Is your throne like this`?" She replied, "It is just the same. *52 We had already known this and we had surrendered (or we had become Muslims)." *53

*52 This also refutes the speculations of those people who depict the event in it manner as though the Prophet Solomon wanted to have the throne made for the queen and for this purpose he invited tenders and a strong, robust artisan offered to make hint a throne in the matter of a few hours, but an expert craftsman submitted that he could make and produce it in no time. This whole guess-work is destroyed by the tact that Solomon himself ordered the throne to be fetched before him (v. 381,, and when it had been fetched, ordered his servants to set it before the queen casually Iv. 41), and then when she arrived, she was asked whetlter her throne was like that (v. 42), and she answered, "It is just the same." Obviously, there could he no room for the absurd interpretations in the face of such a clear statement of facts. If there is still any doubt left, it can be satisfied by the next sentence. 
*53 That is, "Even before we saw this miracle we had been convinced by what we had heard of Solomon (peace be upon him) that he was a Prophet of Allah, and not merely a ruler of a kingdom." After seeing the throne and saying, "It is just the same", what could be the relevance of adding this sentence if it is supposed that the Prophet Solomon had got a throne manufactured and set the same before her? Even if it is supposed that no effort was spared to have a throne manufactured closely resembling the queen's what special excellence it could have to make a sun- worshipping queen exclaim "We had already known this and we had become Muslims!"

وَصَدَّهَا مَا كَانَتْ تَعْبُدُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ مِنْ قَوْمٍ كَافِرِينَ {27:43}

[Q27:43] Wa saddahaa maa kaanat ta'budu min doonil laahi innahaa kaanat min qawmin kaafireen. 
[Q27:43] And what she worshipped besides ALLAH (SWT) prevented her, surely she was of an unbelieving people.

[Q27:43] Dan dia dihalangi (daripada memeluk Islam pada masa yang lalu ialah) apa yang dia pernah menyembahnya (dari benda-benda) yang lain dari ALLAH (SwT); sesungguhnya adalah ia (pada masa itu) dari puak yang kafir.  

(see commentary for verse 20)

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(27:43) The worship of the deities whom she served instead of Allah had hindered her (from believing), for she came of an unbelieving people. *54

*54 This sentence has been added by AIIah to clarity the queen's position, saying that she was not obdurate and stubborn. She had been an unbeliever till then mainly hecause she canto of an unbelieving people. As she had become accustomed to bowing down before a false deity since her childhood, it had become a hindrance for her to the right way. As soon as she came in contact with the Prophet Solomon, she discerned the right way and the hindrance was removed Forthwith.

قِيلَ لَهَا ادْخُلِي الصَّرْحَ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَكَشَفَتْ عَنْ سَاقَيْهَا ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُ صَرْحٌ مُمَرَّدٌ مِنْ قَوَارِيرَ ۗ قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَانَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ {27:44}

[Q27:44] Qeela lahad khulis sarha falammaa ra at hu hasibat hu lujjatanw wa khashafat 'an saaqaihaa; qaala innahoo sarhum mumarradum min qawaareer; qaalat Rabbi innee zalamtu nafsee wa aslamtu ma'a Sulaimaana lillaahi Rabbil 'aalameen. 
[Q27:44] It was said to her: Enter the palace; but when she saw it she deemed it to be a great expanse of water, and bared her legs. He said: Surely it is a palace made smooth with glass. She said: My Lord! Surely I have been unjust to myself, and I submit with Sulaiman to ALLAH (SWT), the Lord of the worlds.

[Q27:44] (Setelah itu) dikatakan kepadanya: Dipersilakan masuk ke dalam istana ini. Maka ketika dia melihatnya, disangkanya halaman istana itu sebuah kolam air, serta dia pun menyingsingkan pakaian dari dua betisnya. Nabi Sulaiman berkata: Sebenarnya ini adalah sebuah istana yang diperbuat licin berkilat dari kaca. (Mendengar yang demikian), Balqis berdoa: Wahai Tuhanku, sesungguhnya aku telah menganiaya diri sendiri dan (sekarang aku menegaskan bahawa) aku berserah diri memeluk Islam bersama-sama Nabi Sulaiman, kepada ALLAH (SwT) Tuhan sekalian alam.  

While receiving the Queen, Solomon had made arrangements to disillusion her mind by an unbreakable arguments and deniable facts. He had built a palace of glass with a floor of glass and under the sheet of the glass, flowed water with fishes of various kinds. The floor seemed to be one tank of water since the glass sheet covering the water was made indistinguishable.

When the Queen arrived she had to pass through the court-yard with the glass sheet covering the water. The Queen taking the glass sheet to be water tucked up her clothes to pass through it, showing her bare feet and ankles. Solomon disillusioned her, telling her what it really was.

The Queen felt grateful and joined Solomon in the praise of ALLAH (SWT). By this device Solomon made the Queen realise the folly of getting misled by outward appearance and worshipping the objects manifesting the glory of the Lord, for the Lord himself viz. the Sun which she worshipped was one of the creatures of ALLAH (SWT) and not ALLAH (SWT) Himself.

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(27:44) She was asked to enter the palace. When she saw it, she thought it was a 'pool of water, so she tucked up her skirt to enter it. Solomon said, "It is the glossy floor of glass." *55 At this she exclaimed, "O my Lord! I have (hitherto) been unjust to myself; now I submit myself, with Solomon, to Allah, Lord of the worlds." *56

*55 This was the last thing that opened the queen's eyes. The tirst thing was Solomon's letter that had been begun with the name of the AII-Compassionate, the AII-Merciful AIlah, a way different front the common custom prevalent among the kings. The second was his rejection of her gifts, which made the queen understand that he was a different kind of king. The third was the report made by the queen's envoys froth which she came to know about Solomon's pious life, his wisdom and his message of the Truth. This very dung had induced her to travel to Jerusalem herself to personally meet the Prophet Solomon, and to this she had referred when she said. "We had already known this and we had become Muslims." The fourth thing was the removal of her throne from Ma'rib to Jerusalem in no time, from which the queen realized that he had Allah's power at Itil hack. Now this was the last thing that removed every doubt front her mind regarding the unique and great personality of the Prophet Solomon. When she saw that in spite of possessing every means of comfort and ease and a grand palace for a dwelling, he was so free from every conceit, so God-fearing and righteous and so grateful to God that he bowed before Him far every small favour and his life so different from the life of those who were enamoured of the world, she exclaimed the words that follow. 
*56 This story of the Prophet Solomon and the queen of Sheba has been related in the Old and the New Testaments and the Israelite traditions in different ways, but the Qur'anic narration differs from alI others. A resume of the story as given in the Old Testament is as follows: "And when the queen of Sheba heard of the tame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company. When she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of aII that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions ...... And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thine wisdom: Howbeit I believed nut their words, until I carte, and thine eves had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of they wisdom Was not told rte: for thou exceedest the (ante that 1 heard. Happy are thy men. and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom. Blessed be the Lord they God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne  ..... And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon ..... And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba aII her desire, whatever she asked ..... So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants." (2 Chronicles, 9: 1-12. A similar account is also found in I Kings, 10: 1-13). In the New Testament. The following sentence only has been reported from a discourse of the Prophet Jesus about the queen of Sheba . "The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here." (Matthew, 12: 42; Luke, 11: 31). The story of the Prophet Solomon and the queen of Sheba as given in the rabbinical traditions resembles in most parts with the Qur'anic version. The hopoe's absence, then its .arrival and reporting about Sheba and its queen, the Prophet Solomon's sending her a letter through it, the hoopoe's dropping the letter in front of the queen right at the time when she was going for sun-worship, the queen's calling for her ministers' council, then her sending of valuable gifts to Solomon, her travelling to Jerusalem and meeting him personally, her arrival in the palace and thinking that Prophet Solomon was sitting in the midst of a pool of water, tucking up her skirt in order to enter it-all this has been mentioned in these traditions as in the Qur'an. But there is no mention whatsoever in these traditions of the Prophet Solomon's reply on receipt of the gift, having the queen's th rune fetched from Ma'rib, his bowing down before God in thankfulness for every favour of His, and the queen's embracing the Faith ultimately, at his hand, his belief in the oneness of God, etc. And worst of aII, these wicked people have accused Prophet Solomon of having committed adultery, God forbid, with the queen of Sheba, giving rise to an illegitimate race, which gave birth to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, who destroyed Jerusalem. (jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. XI, p. 443). The fact of the matter is that n section of the Jewish learned men have been highly critical of the Prophet Solomon. They have accused him of heinous crimes like violating the Commandments of the Torah, of pride of government, pride of wisdom, of being a hen-pecked husband, and of luxurious living, polytheism and idol-worship. (Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. XI, pp. 439-441). It is due to this propaganda that the Bible presents him only as a king instead of a Prophet, a king who was lost in the love of polytheistic women against the Divine Commandments, whose heart was turned away from God, and was turned to other gods and goddesses. (I Kings, 11: 1-11). As against this it can be seen what great favour has the Qur'an done to the Israelites by cleansing the personalities of their elders of the tilth thrown at them by themselves, and yet the Israelites, ungrateful as they are, look upon the Qur'an and him who brought it as their enemies. 

SECTION 4

Saleh and Lot

Saleh sent towards the people of Thamud – The people rejected Salem admonition, thus they were destroyed -- Lot commanded to proceed towards his people—They disbelivede and were destroyed.

وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ فَإِذَا هُمْ فَرِيقَانِ يَخْتَصِمُونَ {27:45}

[Q27:45] Wa laqad arsalnaaa ilaa Samoda akhaahum Saalihan ani'budul lahha fa izaa hum fareeqaani yakhtasimoon. 
[Q27:45] And certainly We sent to Samood their brother Salih, saying: Serve ALLAH (SWT); and lo! They became two sects quarrelling with each other.

[Q27:45] Dan demi sesungguhnya, Kami telah mengutus kepada kaum Thamud, saudara mereka Nabi Soleh (menyeru mereka dengan berkata): Sembahlah kamu akan ALLAH (SwT)! Maka tiba-tiba mereka menjadi dua puak (mukmin dan kafir) yang berbalah.

Refer to the commentary of Araf 7:73 to 79; Hud 11:61 to 68 FOR PROPHET SALIH AND THE PEOPLE OF THAMUD.

There were nine men among the people of Thamud who hatched a plan to kill prophet Salih, BUT their plot was foiled, and the whole community, which was involved in evil, was destroyed.

µ  A SIMILAR PLOT was made against the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) by the tribal chiefs of Makka. See commentary of al Baqarah 2:207.

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(27:45) And *57 to Thamud We sent their brother Salih (with the message) that they should worship Allah, but they divided themselves forthwith into two wrangling groups. *58

*57 For comparison. see Al-A'raf: 73-79, Hud: 61-68, Ash-Shu'ara': 141159, AI-Qamar: 23-32, Ash-Shams: 11-15. 
*58 That is, as soon as the Prophet Salih embarked on his mission, his people were divined into two groups, the believers and the disbelievers, and a conflict started between them as stated elsewhere in the Qur'an: "The chiefs of his tribe, who .were full of pride, said to those who had believed from among the oppressed people, 'Do you know it for certain that Salih is a Messenger from his Lord?' They replied, `Indeed, we believe in the message with which he has been sent.' But those who had arrogant assumption of superiority, said, `We deny that which you believe'." (Al-A'raf: 75-76). One should note that precisely the same situation arose in Makkah at the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace be upon him). The nation was divided into two factions and a conflict started between them. Therefore, this story fully applied to the conditions in which these verses were revealed.

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لِمَ تَسْتَعْجِلُونَ بِالسَّيِّئَةِ قَبْلَ الْحَسَنَةِ ۖ لَوْلَا تَسْتَغْفِرُونَ اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ {27:46}

[Q27:46] Qaala yaa qawmi lima tasta'jiloona bissaiyi'ati qablal hasanati law laa tas taghfiroonal laaha la'allakum turhamoon. 
[Q27:46] He said: O my people! Why do you seek to hasten on the evil before the good? Why do you not ask forgiveness of ALLAH (SWT) so that you may be dealt with mercifully?

[Q27:46] Nabi Soleh berkata (kepada puak kafir): Wahai kaumku, mengapa kamu segerakan kufur ingkar yang mendatangkan keburukan kepada kamu, (tidak) mendahulukan iman yang mendatangkan kebaikan kepada kamu? Alangkah baiknya kalau kamu memohon ampun kepada ALLAH (SwT) supaya kamu diberi rahmat.  

(see commentary for verse 45)

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(27:46) Salih said, "O my people, why do you hasten for the evil in preference to the good? *59 Why don't you ask forgiveness of Allah? Maybe that you are shown mercy."

*59 That is, "Why do you hasten in asking for a torment instead of some good from Allah`?" The following saying of the chiefs of the Prophet Salih's people has been related at another place: "O Salih, bring that scourge with which you threaten us, if you really are one of the Messengers." (Al-A`raf:77).

قَالُوا اطَّيَّرْنَا بِكَ وَبِمَنْ مَعَكَ ۚ قَالَ طَائِرُكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ ۖ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ تُفْتَنُونَ {27:47}

[Q27:47] Qaalut taiyarnaa bika wa bimam ma'ak; qaala taaa'irukum 'indal laahi bal antum qawmun tuftanoon. 
[Q27:47] They said: We have met with ill luck on account of you and on account of those with you. He said: The cause of your evil fortune is with ALLAH (SWT); nay, you are a people who are tried.

[Q27:47] Mereka menjawab: Kami merasa nahas dan malang dengan sebabmu dan juga dengan sebab pengikut-pengikutmu! Nabi Soleh berkata: Perkara yang menyebabkan baik dan malang kamu adalah di sisi ALLAH (SwT) (dan Dialah yang menentukannya, bukannya aku), sebenarnya kamu adalah kaum yang disesatkan (oleh hawa nafsu). 

REFER FOR VERSES 46 AND 47. Since the people always waited for the fulfillment of the threat against the wrath of ALLAH (SWT), IT IS SAID, why do they hasten it, and not seek ALLAH (SWT)’s pardon and his protection against the chastisement.

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(27:47) They said, "We regard you and your companions as a sign of bad omen." *60 Salih said, "Your good and bad omens issue forth from Allah. The fact is that you are a people on trial." *61

*60 One meaning of what they said is: "Your movement has proved to be an evil omen for us. Since you and your companions have revolted against the ancestral religion, one or the other calamity is befalling us almost daily, because our deities have become angry with us. In this sense, this saying is similar to the sayings of most of those polytheistic nations who regarded their Prophets as ominous. In Surah Ya Sin, for instance, a nation has been mentioned, which said to its Prophet "We regard you as an evil omen for ourselves." (v. 18) The same thing was said by the Pharaoh's people about the Prophet Moses: "Whenever a good time came, they would say, `This is but our due', and when there was a bad time, they would ascribe their calamities to Moses and his companions." (Al-A`raf 130) Almost similar things were said in Makkah about the Holy Prophet also. The other meaning of their saying is this: "Your advent has stirred up divisions in our eation. Before this we were a united people, who followed one religion. Your ominous coming has turned brother against brother, and separated son from father. "This very accusation was being brought against the Holy Prophet by his opponents over and over again. Soon after he started his mission of inviting the people to the Faith, the delegation of the chiefs of the Quraish, who went to Abu Talib, had said, "Give up to us this nephew of yours: he has opposed your religion and your forefathers' religion and has sown discord among your people, and has held the whole nation as foolish." (Ibn Hisham, Vol. I. p. 285). On the occasion of Hajj, when the disbelievers of Makkah feared that the visitors from outside might be influenced by the Holy Prophet, they held consultations and decided to approach the Arab tribes and tell them: "This man is a sorcerer, who by his sorcery separates son from his father, brother from his brother, wife from her husband, and man from his family." (Ibn Hisham, p. 289). 
*61 That is, "The truth is not that which you understand it to be. The fact which you have not yet realized is that my advent has put you to the test. Until my arrival you were following a beaten track in your ignorance. You could not recognize the truth from the falsehood; you had no criterion for judging the genuine from the counterfeit; your worst people were lording over your best people, who were rolling in the dust. But now a criterion has come against which you will all be judged and assessed. Now a balance has been set up publicly, which will weigh everybody according to his true worth. Now both the truth and the falsehood have been made manifest. Whoever accepts the truth will weigh heavy whether he was not being held even worth a farthing so far; and whoever persists in falsehood will not weigh a gramme even though he was being esteemed as the chief of the chiefs before this. Now the judgement will not be based on the nobility or otherwise of the family one came of, or the abundance of the means and resources that one possessed, or one's physical strength but on this whether one accepted the truth gracefully or preferred to remain attached to falsehood." 

وَكَانَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ تِسْعَةُ رَهْطٍ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا يُصْلِحُونَ {27:48}

[Q27:48] Wa kaana fil madeenati tis'atu rahtiny yufsidoona fil ardi wa laa yuslihoon. 
[Q27:48] And there were in the city nine persons who made mischief in the land and did not act aright.

[Q27:48] Dan di bandar (tempat tinggal kaum Thamud) itu, ada sembilan orang yang semata-mata melakukan kerosakan di bumi (dengan berbagai-bagai maksiat) dan tidak melakukan kebaikan sedikitpun.  

(see commentary for verse 45)

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(27:48) There were in that city nine ring-leaders of the men, *62 who spread mischief in the land and reformed nothing.

*62 That is, nine chiefs of the tribes each of whom had a band of followers with him. 

قَالُوا تَقَاسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ لَنُبَيِّتَنَّهُ وَأَهْلَهُ ثُمَّ لَنَقُولَنَّ لِوَلِيِّهِ مَا شَهِدْنَا مَهْلِكَ أَهْلِهِ وَإِنَّا لَصَادِقُونَ {49}

[Q27:49] Qaaloo taqaasamoo billaahi lanubaiyitannahoo wa ahlahoo summaa lanaqoolana liwaliy yihee maa shahidnaa mahlika ahliee wa innaa lasaadiqoon. 
[Q27:49] They said: Swear to each other by ALLAH (SWT) that we will certainly make a sudden attack on him and his family by night, then we will say to his heir: We did not witness the destruction of his family, and we are most surely truthful.

[Q27:49] Mereka berkata (sesama sendiri): Hendaklah kamu masing-masing bersumpah dengan nama ALLAH (SwT), bahawa sesungguhnya kita akan membunuh Soleh dan pengikut-pengikutnya secara mengejut pada waktu malam, kemudian kita akan berkata kepada warisnya: Kami tidak hadir (di tempat) pembunuhan (Soleh apalagi membunuhnya atau membunuh) pengikut-pengikutnya dan sesungguhnya kami adalah berkata benar.  

Conspiracy was made against the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) by the tribes of the Quriesh after the demise of Abu Talib, AND THIS BECAME the cause of the ‘Hijrat’, i.e., migration of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) from Makka to Madina.

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(27:49) They said to one another, "Let us pledge on an oath by Allah that we shall attack Salih and his household by night, and then tell his guardian *63 that we were not even present at the time his family were killed: we are telling the truth." *64

*63 "The guardian": the chief of the Prophet Salih's tribe, who, according to the ancient tribal tradition and custom, could make a claim to blood vengeance. The same was the position in Makkah of the Holy Prophet's uncle, Abu Talib. The Quraish were hesitant that if they attacked and killed the Holy Prophet, Abu Talib, the chief of Bani Hashim, would come out with a claim to blood vengeance on behalf of his clan.
*64 This precisely was the kind of plot which the Makkan chiefs of the clans were devising against the Holy Prophet, and they devised the same ultimately on the occasion of migration (Hijrah) to kill him. They decided that men from all the clans would attack him in a body so that the Bani Hashim could not hold any one of the clans as responsible for the murder, and, therefore, would fmd it impossible to fight all of them at one and the same time. 

وَمَكَرُوا مَكْرًا وَمَكَرْنَا مَكْرًا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ {50}

[Q27:50] Wa makaroo makranw wa makarnaa makranw wa hum laa yash’uroon. 
[Q27:50] And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan while they perceived not.

[Q27:50] Dan (dengan demikian) mereka telah merancangkan rancangan jahat dan Kami pula rancangkan balasannya dengan seburuk-buruk balasan, sedang mereka tidak menyedarinya.  

Similar plotting was done against the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) also--- Ali’s taking the place of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) in his couch at the night of his Migration to Madina which led to their destruction later on in the battle of Badr, Ohad and till the conquest of Makka.

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(27:50) They plotted thus, and We too devised a clot of which they were unaware. *65

*65 That is, "Before they could make the night attack on the Prophet Salih at the appointed time Allah sent down His scourge which destroyed their whole nation completely. It appears that they made this plot after hamstringing the she camel. According to Surah Hud:65, when they had killed the she-camel, Prophet Salih gave them a notice to enjoy life in their houses for three more days, for then they would be seized by We torment. At this they might have thought that We torment with which Salih threatened them might come or might not, but they must take We vengeance on Salih himself. Therefore, most probably they chose We same night for We attack which Allah had appointed for sending down We torment, and thus were struck down by Allah even before they could touch We Prophet Salih."

فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ مَكْرِهِمْ أَنَّا دَمَّرْنَاهُمْ وَقَوْمَهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ {27:51}

[Q27:51] Fanzur kaifa kaana 'aaqibatu makrihim annaa dammar naahum wa qawmahum ajma’een. 
[Q27:51] See, then, how was the end of their plan that We destroyed them and their people, all (of them).

[Q27:51] Maka lihatlah bagaimana akibat rancangan jahat mereka, iaitu Kami telah hancurkan mereka dan kaum mereka semuanya. 

(see commentary for verse 45)

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(27:51) Just see how their plot ended. We annihilated them and all their people together.

فَتِلْكَ بُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَةً بِمَا ظَلَمُوا ۗ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ {27:52}

[Q27:52] Fatilka buyootuhum khaa wiyatam bimaa zalamoo; inna fee zaalika la Aayatal liqaw miny-ya’lamoon. 
[Q27:52] So those are their houses fallen down because they were unjust, most surely there is a sign in this for a people who know.

[Q27:52] Kesudahannya rumah-rumah mereka itu telah runtuh ranap, dengan sebab mereka berlaku zalim; sesungguhnya kejadian yang demikian mengandungi pelajaran yang mendatangkan iktibar bagi orang-orang yang mahu mengetahui (akan sebab dan musababnya). 

(see commentary for verse 45)

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(27:52) There, their houses lie desolate in consequence of their wicked deeds. There is a lesson in this for those who have knowledge; *66

*66 That is, "The ignorant people will say, `There is no link between We Prophet Salih and his she-camel and We earthquake which struck We people of Thamud. These Wings have Weir natural causes. Their occurrence or otherwise has nothing to do with We piety and wickedness of the people of a place, with Weir high-handedness or Weir show of mercy. It is meaningless merely to say that such and such a city or land was filled with sin and wickedness, and therefore, it was overwhelmed by flood, or its habitation turned upside down by an earthquake, or it was ruined by a sudden disaster'." But We people who possess knowledge know that this universe is not being ruled by a deaf and blind God, but by an All-Wise, All-Knowing One Who is deciding We destinies. His decisions are not subject to physical causes, but We physical causes are subject to His will. His decisions to debase or exalt nations are not taken blindly but with wisdom and justice. In His Book of Law Were is also included We principle of retribution, according to which the wicked are made to suffer for Weir evil deeds even in this world, on moral grounds. The people who are aware of these realities, cannot explain away We occurrence of an earthquake by citing physical and natural causes; they will rather look upon them as the scourge of warning for themselves, and they will learn lessons from it. They will try to understand those moral causes because of which the Creator annihilated a flourishing nation, which He Himself had created. They will divert Weir conduct and attitude from We track that brings Allah's wrath to We way that joins them to His mercy. 

وَأَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ {27:53}

[Q27:53] Wa anjainal lazeena aamanoo wa kaanoo yattaqoon. 
[Q27:53] And We delivered those who believed and who guarded (against evil).

[Q27:53] Dan Kami selamatkan orang-orang yang beriman, serta yang selalu bertakwa. 

(see commentary for verse 45)

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(27:53) and We saved those who had believed and avoided disobedience.

وَلُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ وَأَنْتُمْ تُبْصِرُونَ {27:54}

[Q27:54] Wa lootan iz qaala liqawmiheee ataatoonal faa hishata wa antum qawmun tajjhaloon. 
[Q27:54] And (We sent) Lut, when he said to his people: What! Do you commit indecency while you see?

[Q27:54] Dan Nabi Lut juga (Kami utuskan); (ingatlah peristiwanya) ketika dia berkata kepada kaumnya: Patutkah kamu melakukan perbuatan yang keji sedang kamu nampak kejinya? 

Refer to the commentary of Araf 7:80 to 84; Hud 11:77 to 83 and Hijr 15:57 to 77 FOR PROPHET LUT.

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(27:54) And We sent Lot. *67 Remember thetime when he said to his people, "Do you commit indecency while you see it? *68

*67 For comparison, See Al-A`raf: 80-84; Hud, 74-83, Al-Hijr: 57-77, Al-Anbiya': 71-75, Ash-Shu`ara': 160-174, Al-`Ankabut: 28-75, As-Saffat: 133138, Al-Qamar: 33-39. 
*68 This can have several meanings and probably all are implied: (1) `That you are not unaware of this act's being wicked, but you commit it knowing it to be so"; (2) "You are also not unaware that the man has not been created for the man's sex satisfaction but the woman, and the distinction between them (man and woman) is not such as you cannot perceive, yet with open eyes you commit this abominable act." (3) "You indulge in this indecency publicly when there are people watching you", as stated in Surah `Ankbut: 29, thus: " .....  and you indulge in indecencies in your assemblies." 

أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَأْتُونَ الرِّجَالَ شَهْوَةً مِنْ دُونِ النِّسَاءِ ۚ بَلْ أَنْتُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ {27:55}

[Q27:55] A'innakum lataatoonar rijaala shahwatam min doonin nisaaa'; bal antum qawmun tajhaloon. 
[Q27:55] What! Do you indeed approach men lustfully rather than women? Nay, you are a people who act ignorantly.

[Q27:55] Sesungguhnya kamu mendatangi lelaki, bukan perempuan, kerana memuaskan nafsu syahwat kamu. (Perbuatan kamu itu amatlah keji) bahkan kamu kaum yang jahil (yang tidak mengetahui akan akibatnya). 

(see commentary for verse 54)

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(27:55) Do you leave women and seek men for the gratification of your sexual desire? The fact is that you are a people steeped in ignorance. *69

*69 The word jahalat here has been used in the sense of folly and stupidity. But even if it is taken in the sense of ignorance and lack of knowledge, it will mean: "You do not know the evil consequences of your acts. You only know that you are deriving sensual pleasure, but you do not know what severe punishment awaits you for this criminal and heinous pleasure-seeking. The scourge of Allah is ready to strike you but you are engaged in a senseless, filthy game with impunity. " 

فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا أَخْرِجُوا آلَ لُوطٍ مِنْ قَرْيَتِكُمْ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ أُنَاسٌ يَتَطَهَّرُونَ {27:56}

[Q27:56] Fammaa kaana jawaaba qawmiheee illaaa an qaalooo akrijoon aalaa Lootim min qaryatikum innahum unaasuny yatatahharoon.
[Q27:56] But the answer of his people was no other except that they said: Turn out Lut's followers from your town; surely they are a people who would keep pure! 

[Q27:56] Maka kaumnya tidak menjawab selain dari berkata: Usirlah Lut dan pengikut-pengikutnya dari bandar kamu ini; sesungguhnya mereka adalah orang-orang yang mendakwakan dirinya bersih suci.

(see commentary for verse 54)

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(27:56) But the only reply his people gave was to say, "Expel the family of Lot from your habitation: they pose to be very pious."

فَأَنْجَيْنَاهُ وَأَهْلَهُ إِلَّا امْرَأَتَهُ قَدَّرْنَاهَا مِنَ الْغَابِرِينَ {27:57}

[Q27:57] Fa anjainaahu wa ahlahooo illam ra atahoo qaddarnaahaa minal gaabireen. 
[Q27:57] But We delivered him and his followers except his wife; We ordained her to be of those who remained behind.

[Q27:57] Lalu Kami selamatkan Nabi Lut dan keluarganya serta pengikut-pengikutnya, kecuali isterinya, Kami takdirkan dia menjadi dari golongan yang tertinggal dalam azab. 

(see commentary for verse 54)

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(27:57) At last We saved him and his family except his wife about whom We had decreed that she would linger behind, *70

*70 That is, "The Prophet Lot had already been instructed not to take the woman along because she had to be destroyed along with her people." 

وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مَطَرًا ۖ فَسَاءَ مَطَرُ الْمُنْذَرِينَ {27:58}

[Q27:58] Wa amtarnaa 'alaihimm mataran fasaaa'a matarul munzareen. 
[Q27:58] And We rained on them a rain, and evil was the rain of those who had been warned.

[Q27:58] Dan Kami hujani mereka dengan hujan yang membinasakan, maka amatlah buruknya hujan azab yang menimpa orang-orang yang telah diberi amaran.  

(see commentary for verse 54)

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(27:58) and rained on then a rain, an extremely evil rain for the people who had been warned.

SECTION 5

God’s Chosen Servants

God Bounties – Peace upon God’s Chosen Servants – Arguments proving the Unity of God.

قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَسَلَامٌ عَلَىٰ عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَىٰ ۗ آللَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ {27:59}

[Q27:59] Quli alhamdu liLLaahi wa salaamun 'alaa 'ibaadihil lazeenas tafaa; aaaLLaahu khairun ammmaa yushrikoon. 
[Q27:59] Say: Praise be to ALLAH (SWT) and peace on His servants whom He has chosen: is ALLAH (SWT) better, or what they associate (with Him)?

[Q27:59] Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): Segala puji tertentu bagi ALLAH (SwT) dan selamat sejahtera kepada hamba-hambaNya (Nabi-nabi) yang dipilihNya. Manakah yang lebih baik? - ALLAH (SwT) (yang demikian kekuasaanNya) atau benda-benda yang mereka jadikan sekutu-sekutu bagiNya?

According to the Ahlul Bayt "His (ALLAH (SWT)'s) servants whom He has chosen for His message" ARE THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI MUHAMMAD) AND HIS AHLUL BAYT.

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(27:59) (O Prophet) *71 say, "Praise is for Allah and peace upon those servants of His whom He has chosen." (Ask them:) "Is Allah better or those deities whom they set up as His associates?" *72

*71 From here starts the second discourse, and this is its introductory sentence. This introduction teaches how the Muslims should begin a speech. That is why the truly Islamic-minded people have always been starting their speeches and discourses with the praise of Allah and salutation on His righteous servants. But now this is looked upon as characteristic of bigotry, and the present-day Muslim speakers have no idea of starting their speech with these words, or feel shy of doing so.
*72 Superficially the question whether Allah is better or the false deities appears to be odd. As a matter of fact, there can be no question of goodness in the false gods and, therefore, they cannot be compared to Allah. As for the polytheists, even they had no misconception that Allah could be compared to their gods. But they were asked this question in order to be warned against their error. For obviously none in the world would do anything unless he saw some good in it. Now if the polyltheists served their deities and implored them for their needs instead of Allah, and presented their offerings before them, this would be meaningless unless they perceived some good in them. That is why they have been explicitly asked to consider whether Allah is better or their deities, for they could not face and answer this forth-right question. Even the most hardened polytheist among them could not venture to say that their deities were better. But if they acknowledged that Allah is better it would demolish their whole creed, for then it would be unreasonable to adopt the inferior against the superior creed. The Meaning of the Qur'an Thus, the Qur'an at the very outset made the opponents helpless. After this, pointed questions have been asked, one after the other, about the manifestations of the power and creation of Allah to the effect: "Whose works are these? Is there besides Allah any other god also associated with these works'? If not, why have you then set up these others as your deities?" According to traditions, whenever the Holy Prophet recited this verse, he would immediately respond to it, saying: "Nay, but Allah is better, and He alone is the Everlasting and Exalted and High." 

أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَأَنْزَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَنْبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَائِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ مَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُنْبِتُوا شَجَرَهَا ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَعَ اللَّهِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ {60}

[Q27:60] Amman khalaqas samaawaati wal arda wa anzala lakum minas samaaa'i maaa'an fa ambatnaa bihee hadaaa'iqa zaata bahjjah; maa kanna lakum an tumbitoo shajarahaa; 'a-ilaahum ma'aLLaah; bal hum qawmuny ya’diloon. 
[Q27:60] Nay, He Who created the heavens and the earth, and sent down for you water from the cloud; then We cause to grow thereby beautiful gardens; it is not possible for you that you should make the trees thereof to grow. Is there a god with ALLAH (SWT)? Nay! They are people who deviate.

[Q27:60] Bahkan siapakah yang telah mencipta langit dan bumi dan menurunkan hujan dari langit untuk kamu? Lalu Kami tumbuhkan dengan air hujan itu tanaman kebun-kebun (yang menghijau subur) dengan indahnya, yang kamu tidak dapat dan tidak berkuasa menumbuhkan pohon-pohonnya. Adakah sebarang tuhan yang lain bersama-sama ALLAH (SwT)? (Tidak!) bahkan mereka (yang musyrik itu) adalah kaum yang menyeleweng dari kebenaran (tauhid).

Refer to the commentary of An-am 6:100.

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(27:60) Well, Who is He Who created the heavens and the earth and sent down rainwater for you from the sky, then caused to spring up by it beautiful gardens, whose trees you had no power to cause to grow? Is there besides Allah another god (who is His associate in these works)? *73 (Nay,) but these people themselves have strayed from the right path.

*73 No one from among the mushriks could answer that someone other than AIlah had done these works, or someone else was Allah's associate in doing these. The Qur'an at other places says with respect to the pagans of Makkah and the Arab mushrikin: "If you ask them, 'Who has created the heavens and the earth?' they will surely say: 'The All-Mighty, the All-Knowing One has created them'." (Az-Zukhruf: 9) "And if you ask them, Who has created them? they will surely say, 'AIIah'." (Az-Zukhruf: 87), "If you ask them, 'Who sent down rain water from the sky and thereby raised the dead earth back to life?' They will surely say, 'Allah'." (Al-`Ankabut: 63). "Ask them: Who provides for you from the heavens and the earth? Who has power over these faculties of hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who controls and directs the system of the universe?' They will surely say, 'AIIah'." (Yunus: 31). Not only the polytheists of Arabia but of the whole world generally acknowledged, and acknowledge even today, that Allah is the Creator of the universe and He alone controls and directs its system. Therefore, none of them could answer this question even obstinately for the sake of the argument that their deities were Allah's associates in those works, for if he had done so, thousands of his own people would have belied him saying that, that was not their belief. This and the other questions that follow not only contain a refutation of the creed of shirk (polytheism) but of atheism as well. For example, in this first very question, it has been asked, "Who has sent down rainwater and caused to spring up by it beautiful gardens?" Just consider whether the presence of the substances essential for the growth of countless kinds of plant life, in the soil or near the soil, and the existence in water of those very qualities which are in accordance with the requirements of animal and vegetable life, and the evaporation of this water again and again from the seas, and its condensation and raining regularly in different parts of the earth from time to time, and the coordination between the soil and the air, the water, the temperature;.etc., conducive to proper growth of plant life and fulfilment of the countless requirements of every sort of animal life, could be just accidental, or the result of the wise scheming and planning the supreme power and will of an AlI-Wise Designer. And is it possible that this accident should continue to recur constantly for millions and millions of years on end? Only an obstinate person who has been blinded by prejudice will regard it as accidental, for no truthloving, sensible person can make such a senseless claim or accept it.