SURAH (34) SABA' (AYA 21 to 40)
وَمَا كَانَ لَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ إِلَّا
لِنَعْلَمَ مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِالْآخِرَةِ مِمَّنْ هُوَ مِنْهَا فِي شَكٍّ ۗ
وَرَبُّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَفِيظٌ {34:21}
[Q34:21] Wa
maa kaana lahoo 'alaihim min sultaanin illaa lina'lama mai yu minu bil Aakhirati
mimman huwa minhaa fee shakk; wa Rabbuka 'alaa kulli shai'in Hafeez.
[Q34:21] And he has no authority over them, but that We may distinguish him who believes in the hereafter from him who is in doubt concerning it; and your Lord is the Preserver of all things.
[Q34:21] And he has no authority over them, but that We may distinguish him who believes in the hereafter from him who is in doubt concerning it; and your Lord is the Preserver of all things.
[Q34:21] Dan sememangnya tiadalah bagi
Iblis sebarang kuasa untuk menyesatkan mereka, melainkan untuk menjadi ujian
bagi melahirkan pengetahuan Kami tentang siapakah yang benar-benar beriman
kepada hari akhirat dan siapa pula yang ragu-ragu terhadapnya. Dan (ingatlah)
Tuhanmu sentiasa mengawal serta mengawasi tiap-tiap sesuatu.
(see commentary for verse 20)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:21) Iblis had no authority over them and whatever
happened was in order that We might know him who believes in the Hereafter as
distinct from him who is in doubt about it. *36 Your
Lord is watchful over everything. *37
*36 That is, `Iblis
did not have the power to have forcibly misled these people to the way of God's
disobedience although they had wanted to adopt His obedience. Allah had
only given him the power that he may seduce and mislead them and make aII such
people his followers, who may like to follow him of their own accord. And Iblis
was provided these opportunities for seduction so that the believers of the
Hereafter were distinguished from those who entertained doubts about its
coming."
In other words, this Divine statement makes the truth explicit that nothing in this world other than belief in the Hereafter can ensure man's adherence to the right way. If a man disbelieves that he is to be raised back to life after death and has to render an account of his deeds before his God, he will certainly be misled and go astray, for he will never be able to develop in himself the sense of responsibility which alone can make him adhere to the right way. That is why the artifice of Satan by which he ensnares man is that he makes him heedless of the Hereafter. The one who escapes this satanic enticement can never agree that he should sacrifice the interests of his real everlasting life to the interests of the transient life of the world. On the contrary, the one who disbelieves in the Hereafter under the evil influence of Satan, or at least entertains doubts about it, can never be induced to withdraw from the cash bargain being made in this world only due to the apprehension that it might cause loss in some later life. Whoever has gone astray in the world, has gone astray only due to the denial of the Hereafter, or some suspicion about it; and whoever has adopted righteousness has done so because his righteous deeds have issued from his belief in the Hereafter.
*37 To understand fully the allusions made in the Qur'an to the history of the Sabaeans, one should also keep in view the information that has been obtained through other historical sources about this nation.
HISTORICALLY, Saba' were a great nation of Southern Arabia which comprised some large tribes. Imam Ahmad, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr and Tirmidhi have related from the Holy Prophet that Saba was the name of an Arab, from whose race issued the following tribes of Arabia: Kindah. Himyar, Azd, Ash ariyyin, Madhhij, Anmar (with its two branches: Khath'am and Bajilah), 'Amilah, Judham, Lakhm and Ghassan.
Since antiquity this Arabian nation has been well known to the rest of the world. Ur inscriptions of 2500 B.C. mention it by the name of Sabom. Then in the Babylonian and Assyrian inscriptions and also in the Bible it has been mentioned several times. (See, for instance, Psalms 72:15; Jeremiah 6: 20; Ezekiel 27:22, 38: 13; Job 6: 19). The Greek and Roman historians and the geographer Theo-phrastus (288 B.C.) have mentioned it continuously for many centuries of the Christian era since before Christ. .
Its home was the south-western corner of the Arabian Peninsula, now called al-Yaman. Its rise to prominence started in 1100 B.C. In the time of the Prophets David and Solomon the Sabaeans had become world fatuous as a wealthy people. In the beginning they were a sun-worshipping nation. Then, when their queen affirmed faith at the hand of the Prophet Solomon (965-926 B.C.) probably most of them became Muslims. But then in some unknown later period they again began to worship gods and goddesses tike Almaqah (the moon-god), 'A thtar (Venus), Dhat Hamim, Dhat Bad'an (the sun-god), Harmatam or Harimat and many others. Almaqah was their chief deity, and the kings made claim to the people's obedience as representatives of this deity. Many inscriptions have been unearthed in the Yaman, which show that the whole land abounded in the temples of these gods, especially of Almaqah, and thanks giving services for them were held at every important event.
As a result of the modern archaeological researches about 3,000 inscriptions have been discovered, which throw a good deal of light on the history of this nation. Besides these, if the information yielded by the Arabian traditionists and the Roman and Greek historians is compiled, a detailed history of this nation can be prepared. According to this information the following are the important periods of its history:
(1) The Pre-mid-seventh Century Period: In this period Mukarrib was the title of the Sabaean kings. Probably a synonym of Muqarrib, it signified that the kings regarded themselves as the link between men and gods; or, in other words, they were the priest-kings. Their capital was Sirwah, whose ruins are found at a day's journey to the west of Maa'rib, and are now called al-Kharibah. The foundations of the great Maa'rib dam were laid in this period: then the different kings extended it from time to time.
(2) 650 B. C. to 115 B. C. : In this period the Sabaean kings discarded Mukarrib and adopted the title of Malik (king), which signified that theocracy was replaced by secular kingship. They left Sirwah and made Maa'rib their capital and extended it in every way. This place lay 3900 feet above the sea, and is some 60 miles east of San'a'. Even today its nuns bear evidence that it was once the centre of a highly civilized nation.
(3) 115 B. C. to 300 A.D.: In this period the Sabaean kingdom fell under the domination of the tribe of Himyar, a more numerous tribe of Saba. They discarded Maa'rib and made their central place, Raydan, their capital, which later became known as Zafar. Its nuns can still be seen on a circular hill near the modern city of Yarim. Close by it there resides a small tribe by the name of Hinmar, perhaps the remnant of the great nation which was once well known throughout the world for its glory and grandeur. In the same period the word Yamanat and Yamanat began to be used for the first time for a part of the kingdom, which gradually became Yaman and the name of the entire land, which extends from `Asir to Aden and from Bab al-Mandab to Hadramaut. During this very period the decline of the Sabaean began.
(4) 300 A.D. to the rise, of Islam: This is the period of the Sabaea's destruction. They started fighting civil wars, which provided occasion for external intervention. This resulted in the decline in their trade and their agriculture and even loss of political freedom. Taking advantage of the internal conflicts between the Himyarites and other tribes, the Abyssinians occupied the Yaman and ruled it briefly from 340 A.D. to 378 A.D. Then, though political freedom was restored, breaches began to appear in the great dam of Maa'rib, which in 450 or 451 A.D. led to the catastrophe occasioned by the "bursting of the dam" as has been referred to in verse 16 above. Although after it till the time of Abraha the dam was extensively repaired, the population that had dispersed could not be brought back, nor could the ruined system of irrigation and agriculture be restored. In 523 A.D., dhu-Nuwas, the Jewish king of the Yaman, carried out the great massacre of the Christians of Najran, which has been referred to in the Qur'an under "ashab al-ukhdud" (LXXXV: 4). In retaliation, the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia invaded Yaman and occupied the whole land. Later the Abyssinian governor of Yaman, Abrahah, in a bid to put an end to the central position of the Ka`bah and to bring the whole of western Arabia into the sphere of the ByzantineAbyssinian influence invaded Makkah in 570 or 571 A.D., a few days before the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace). The Abyssinian army was completely destroyed as alluded to under ashab al-fil in the Qur'an. At last, in 575 A.D. Yaman fell to the Iranians; their rule came to an end in 628 A.D. when their governor Badhan embraced Islam.
The Sabaeans owed their prosperity to two main factors: agriculture and commerce. They had developed their agriculture by means of a wonderful irrigation system unknown in the ancient world except in Babylon. There were no natural rivers in their land; in the rainy season small hill-torrents rose on which they had built dams every where in the country and collected water in small lakes from which they had taken out canals to water their lands. This had virtually turned the whole country into a vast garden as mentioned in the Qur'an. The largest reservoir was the lake which had been formed by the construction of a dam on the opening in the Jabal Balaq near Maa`rib. But when Allah caused His favours to be turned away from them, the great dam burst in the mid-fifth century A.D. and the resultant floods went on breaking one dam after the other on the way, destroying the entire irrigation system, which could never again be restored.
For commerce the Sabaeans had been blessed by God with the most favourable geographical position of which they took full advantage. For more than a thousand years they monopolised the means of trade between the East and the West. On the one hand, they received silk from China, spices from Indonesia and Malabar, fabrics and swords from India, negro slaves, monkeys, ostrich feathers and ivory from East Africa at their ports, and on the other, they transported this merchandise to the Egyptian and Syrian marts, to be supplied onward to Rome and Greece. Besides, they themselves were great producers of frankincense and myrrh and other perfumes, which were in great demand in Egypt and Syria and in Rome and Greece.
TWO GREAT ROUTES EXIATED FOR THIS INTERNATIONAL TRADE: THE SEA ROUTE AND THE LAND ROUTE. The maritime trade remained in the Sabaeans' control for more than a thousand years for they alone knew the mysteries of the Red Sea monsoons, breakers and rocks and the anchorages, and no other nation could risk navigation through these dangerous waters. Through this maritime route they took their trade goods to the harbours of Jordan and Egypt. The land routes from Aden and Hadramaut joined at Ma'arib, from where a highway led to Petra through Makkah, Jeddah, Yathrib, AI-`Ula, Tabuk and Aylah, forking at the northern end to Egypt and Syria. Along this land route, a number of Sabaean colonies had been established right from the Yaman to the borders of Syria, as mentioned in the Qur'an, and trade caravans passed by these day and night. The signs of many of these colonies still exist on this route from which the Sabaean and the Himyarite inscriptions are being discovered.
After the first century after Christ Sabaean trade began w suffer a decline. When the Greek, and then the Roman, kingdoms were established in the Middle East, the citizens began complaining of the high prices that the Arabian traders were charging for the oriental goods because of their monopoly, and urged their governments to take the initiative to break their supremacy in the sea trade. Thus, in the beginning, Ptolemy II (985-246 B.C.), the Greek ruler of Egypt, reopened the Nile-Red Sea canal originally dug by Pharaoh Sesostris some seventeen centuries previously. Consequently, it was through this canal that the Egyptian fleet entered the Red Sea for the first time, but it could not succeed much against the Sabaeans. When Egypt fell to the Romans they brought a stronger merchant marine into the Red Sea and put a naval fleet at its back. The Sabaeans could not withstand this force. Consequently, the Romans set up their trade colonies at every seaport, arranged supplies for the ships and also stationed their military troops wherever possible. At last, the time came when Aden passed under the military occupation of the Romans. In this connection, the Roman and the Abyssinian kingdoms also entered secret pacts against the Sabaeans, which ultimately deprived this nation of its political freedom as well.
After losing control over maritime trade the Sabaeans were left with trade over the land route only, but many factors combined to gradually break its back too. First, the Nabataeans ousted them from all the colonies of the upper Hejaz and Jordan, from Petra to Al-`Ula. Then in 106 A.D. the Romans put an end to the Nabataean kingdom and captured all the Syrian and Jordanian territories up to the Hejaz. After this Abyssinia and Rome jointly tried to ruin the Sabaean trade completely by taking advantage of their internal conflicts. That is why the Abyssinians intervened in the Yaman again and again, till at last they brought the whole land under their occupation.
Thus, Allah's wrath caused this nation to be toppled from the heights of glory and prosperity into oblivion from which they were never able to rise again. There was a time when the Greeks and the Romans felt tempted when they heard of the legendary wealth of this people. Strabo writes, "The Sabaeans use gold and silver utensils and even the ceilings, walls and doors of their houses are bedecked with ivory, gold, silver and jewels." Pliny says, "The whole wealth of Rome and Persia is flowing into Sabaean hands. They are the richest people of the world today, and their fertile land abounds in gardens, crops and cattle." Artemidorus says, "These people roll in luxury. They burn cinnemon, sandalwood and other sweet smelling wood as fuel. "Likewise, other Greek historians relate that the passengers passing by their shores can smell the perfumes of their land in the merchant ships at sea. For the first time in history they built a skyscraper, called the castle of Ghumdan, on the hill top in San`a'. This citadel, according to the Arab historians, had twenty storeys, each storey being 36 feet high. Thus did they prosper and enjoy life as long as Allah favoured them with His bounties. At last, when they transgressed aII limits in their ingratitude, the Almighty Allah also withdrew His attention, and they were so utterly destroyed as if they had never existed at all.
In other words, this Divine statement makes the truth explicit that nothing in this world other than belief in the Hereafter can ensure man's adherence to the right way. If a man disbelieves that he is to be raised back to life after death and has to render an account of his deeds before his God, he will certainly be misled and go astray, for he will never be able to develop in himself the sense of responsibility which alone can make him adhere to the right way. That is why the artifice of Satan by which he ensnares man is that he makes him heedless of the Hereafter. The one who escapes this satanic enticement can never agree that he should sacrifice the interests of his real everlasting life to the interests of the transient life of the world. On the contrary, the one who disbelieves in the Hereafter under the evil influence of Satan, or at least entertains doubts about it, can never be induced to withdraw from the cash bargain being made in this world only due to the apprehension that it might cause loss in some later life. Whoever has gone astray in the world, has gone astray only due to the denial of the Hereafter, or some suspicion about it; and whoever has adopted righteousness has done so because his righteous deeds have issued from his belief in the Hereafter.
*37 To understand fully the allusions made in the Qur'an to the history of the Sabaeans, one should also keep in view the information that has been obtained through other historical sources about this nation.
HISTORICALLY, Saba' were a great nation of Southern Arabia which comprised some large tribes. Imam Ahmad, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr and Tirmidhi have related from the Holy Prophet that Saba was the name of an Arab, from whose race issued the following tribes of Arabia: Kindah. Himyar, Azd, Ash ariyyin, Madhhij, Anmar (with its two branches: Khath'am and Bajilah), 'Amilah, Judham, Lakhm and Ghassan.
Since antiquity this Arabian nation has been well known to the rest of the world. Ur inscriptions of 2500 B.C. mention it by the name of Sabom. Then in the Babylonian and Assyrian inscriptions and also in the Bible it has been mentioned several times. (See, for instance, Psalms 72:15; Jeremiah 6: 20; Ezekiel 27:22, 38: 13; Job 6: 19). The Greek and Roman historians and the geographer Theo-phrastus (288 B.C.) have mentioned it continuously for many centuries of the Christian era since before Christ. .
Its home was the south-western corner of the Arabian Peninsula, now called al-Yaman. Its rise to prominence started in 1100 B.C. In the time of the Prophets David and Solomon the Sabaeans had become world fatuous as a wealthy people. In the beginning they were a sun-worshipping nation. Then, when their queen affirmed faith at the hand of the Prophet Solomon (965-926 B.C.) probably most of them became Muslims. But then in some unknown later period they again began to worship gods and goddesses tike Almaqah (the moon-god), 'A thtar (Venus), Dhat Hamim, Dhat Bad'an (the sun-god), Harmatam or Harimat and many others. Almaqah was their chief deity, and the kings made claim to the people's obedience as representatives of this deity. Many inscriptions have been unearthed in the Yaman, which show that the whole land abounded in the temples of these gods, especially of Almaqah, and thanks giving services for them were held at every important event.
As a result of the modern archaeological researches about 3,000 inscriptions have been discovered, which throw a good deal of light on the history of this nation. Besides these, if the information yielded by the Arabian traditionists and the Roman and Greek historians is compiled, a detailed history of this nation can be prepared. According to this information the following are the important periods of its history:
(1) The Pre-mid-seventh Century Period: In this period Mukarrib was the title of the Sabaean kings. Probably a synonym of Muqarrib, it signified that the kings regarded themselves as the link between men and gods; or, in other words, they were the priest-kings. Their capital was Sirwah, whose ruins are found at a day's journey to the west of Maa'rib, and are now called al-Kharibah. The foundations of the great Maa'rib dam were laid in this period: then the different kings extended it from time to time.
(2) 650 B. C. to 115 B. C. : In this period the Sabaean kings discarded Mukarrib and adopted the title of Malik (king), which signified that theocracy was replaced by secular kingship. They left Sirwah and made Maa'rib their capital and extended it in every way. This place lay 3900 feet above the sea, and is some 60 miles east of San'a'. Even today its nuns bear evidence that it was once the centre of a highly civilized nation.
(3) 115 B. C. to 300 A.D.: In this period the Sabaean kingdom fell under the domination of the tribe of Himyar, a more numerous tribe of Saba. They discarded Maa'rib and made their central place, Raydan, their capital, which later became known as Zafar. Its nuns can still be seen on a circular hill near the modern city of Yarim. Close by it there resides a small tribe by the name of Hinmar, perhaps the remnant of the great nation which was once well known throughout the world for its glory and grandeur. In the same period the word Yamanat and Yamanat began to be used for the first time for a part of the kingdom, which gradually became Yaman and the name of the entire land, which extends from `Asir to Aden and from Bab al-Mandab to Hadramaut. During this very period the decline of the Sabaean began.
(4) 300 A.D. to the rise, of Islam: This is the period of the Sabaea's destruction. They started fighting civil wars, which provided occasion for external intervention. This resulted in the decline in their trade and their agriculture and even loss of political freedom. Taking advantage of the internal conflicts between the Himyarites and other tribes, the Abyssinians occupied the Yaman and ruled it briefly from 340 A.D. to 378 A.D. Then, though political freedom was restored, breaches began to appear in the great dam of Maa'rib, which in 450 or 451 A.D. led to the catastrophe occasioned by the "bursting of the dam" as has been referred to in verse 16 above. Although after it till the time of Abraha the dam was extensively repaired, the population that had dispersed could not be brought back, nor could the ruined system of irrigation and agriculture be restored. In 523 A.D., dhu-Nuwas, the Jewish king of the Yaman, carried out the great massacre of the Christians of Najran, which has been referred to in the Qur'an under "ashab al-ukhdud" (LXXXV: 4). In retaliation, the Christian kingdom of Abyssinia invaded Yaman and occupied the whole land. Later the Abyssinian governor of Yaman, Abrahah, in a bid to put an end to the central position of the Ka`bah and to bring the whole of western Arabia into the sphere of the ByzantineAbyssinian influence invaded Makkah in 570 or 571 A.D., a few days before the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace). The Abyssinian army was completely destroyed as alluded to under ashab al-fil in the Qur'an. At last, in 575 A.D. Yaman fell to the Iranians; their rule came to an end in 628 A.D. when their governor Badhan embraced Islam.
The Sabaeans owed their prosperity to two main factors: agriculture and commerce. They had developed their agriculture by means of a wonderful irrigation system unknown in the ancient world except in Babylon. There were no natural rivers in their land; in the rainy season small hill-torrents rose on which they had built dams every where in the country and collected water in small lakes from which they had taken out canals to water their lands. This had virtually turned the whole country into a vast garden as mentioned in the Qur'an. The largest reservoir was the lake which had been formed by the construction of a dam on the opening in the Jabal Balaq near Maa`rib. But when Allah caused His favours to be turned away from them, the great dam burst in the mid-fifth century A.D. and the resultant floods went on breaking one dam after the other on the way, destroying the entire irrigation system, which could never again be restored.
For commerce the Sabaeans had been blessed by God with the most favourable geographical position of which they took full advantage. For more than a thousand years they monopolised the means of trade between the East and the West. On the one hand, they received silk from China, spices from Indonesia and Malabar, fabrics and swords from India, negro slaves, monkeys, ostrich feathers and ivory from East Africa at their ports, and on the other, they transported this merchandise to the Egyptian and Syrian marts, to be supplied onward to Rome and Greece. Besides, they themselves were great producers of frankincense and myrrh and other perfumes, which were in great demand in Egypt and Syria and in Rome and Greece.
TWO GREAT ROUTES EXIATED FOR THIS INTERNATIONAL TRADE: THE SEA ROUTE AND THE LAND ROUTE. The maritime trade remained in the Sabaeans' control for more than a thousand years for they alone knew the mysteries of the Red Sea monsoons, breakers and rocks and the anchorages, and no other nation could risk navigation through these dangerous waters. Through this maritime route they took their trade goods to the harbours of Jordan and Egypt. The land routes from Aden and Hadramaut joined at Ma'arib, from where a highway led to Petra through Makkah, Jeddah, Yathrib, AI-`Ula, Tabuk and Aylah, forking at the northern end to Egypt and Syria. Along this land route, a number of Sabaean colonies had been established right from the Yaman to the borders of Syria, as mentioned in the Qur'an, and trade caravans passed by these day and night. The signs of many of these colonies still exist on this route from which the Sabaean and the Himyarite inscriptions are being discovered.
After the first century after Christ Sabaean trade began w suffer a decline. When the Greek, and then the Roman, kingdoms were established in the Middle East, the citizens began complaining of the high prices that the Arabian traders were charging for the oriental goods because of their monopoly, and urged their governments to take the initiative to break their supremacy in the sea trade. Thus, in the beginning, Ptolemy II (985-246 B.C.), the Greek ruler of Egypt, reopened the Nile-Red Sea canal originally dug by Pharaoh Sesostris some seventeen centuries previously. Consequently, it was through this canal that the Egyptian fleet entered the Red Sea for the first time, but it could not succeed much against the Sabaeans. When Egypt fell to the Romans they brought a stronger merchant marine into the Red Sea and put a naval fleet at its back. The Sabaeans could not withstand this force. Consequently, the Romans set up their trade colonies at every seaport, arranged supplies for the ships and also stationed their military troops wherever possible. At last, the time came when Aden passed under the military occupation of the Romans. In this connection, the Roman and the Abyssinian kingdoms also entered secret pacts against the Sabaeans, which ultimately deprived this nation of its political freedom as well.
After losing control over maritime trade the Sabaeans were left with trade over the land route only, but many factors combined to gradually break its back too. First, the Nabataeans ousted them from all the colonies of the upper Hejaz and Jordan, from Petra to Al-`Ula. Then in 106 A.D. the Romans put an end to the Nabataean kingdom and captured all the Syrian and Jordanian territories up to the Hejaz. After this Abyssinia and Rome jointly tried to ruin the Sabaean trade completely by taking advantage of their internal conflicts. That is why the Abyssinians intervened in the Yaman again and again, till at last they brought the whole land under their occupation.
Thus, Allah's wrath caused this nation to be toppled from the heights of glory and prosperity into oblivion from which they were never able to rise again. There was a time when the Greeks and the Romans felt tempted when they heard of the legendary wealth of this people. Strabo writes, "The Sabaeans use gold and silver utensils and even the ceilings, walls and doors of their houses are bedecked with ivory, gold, silver and jewels." Pliny says, "The whole wealth of Rome and Persia is flowing into Sabaean hands. They are the richest people of the world today, and their fertile land abounds in gardens, crops and cattle." Artemidorus says, "These people roll in luxury. They burn cinnemon, sandalwood and other sweet smelling wood as fuel. "Likewise, other Greek historians relate that the passengers passing by their shores can smell the perfumes of their land in the merchant ships at sea. For the first time in history they built a skyscraper, called the castle of Ghumdan, on the hill top in San`a'. This citadel, according to the Arab historians, had twenty storeys, each storey being 36 feet high. Thus did they prosper and enjoy life as long as Allah favoured them with His bounties. At last, when they transgressed aII limits in their ingratitude, the Almighty Allah also withdrew His attention, and they were so utterly destroyed as if they had never existed at all.
قُلِ ادْعُوا الَّذِينَ زَعَمْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِ
اللَّهِ ۖ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَلَا فِي
الْأَرْضِ وَمَا لَهُمْ فِيهِمَا مِنْ شِرْكٍ وَمَا لَهُ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ
ظَهِيرٍ {34:22}
[Q34:22] Qulid
'ul lazeena za'amtum min doonil laahi laa yamlikoona misqaala zarratin
fissamaawaati wa laa fil ardi wa maa lahum feehimaa min shirkinw wa maa lahoo
minhum min zaheer.
[Q34:22] Say: Call upon those whom you assert besides ALLAH (SWT); they do not control the weight of an atom in the heavens or in the earth nor have they any partnership in either, nor has He among them any one to back (Him) up.
[Q34:22] Say: Call upon those whom you assert besides ALLAH (SWT); they do not control the weight of an atom in the heavens or in the earth nor have they any partnership in either, nor has He among them any one to back (Him) up.
[Q34:22] Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad
kepada kaum musyrik): Serukanlah makhluk-makhluk yang kamu dakwakan sebagai
tuhan selain dari ALLAH (SwT); mereka tidak memiliki kuasa seberat debu pun di
langit dan di bumi dan mereka tiada sebarang bahagian perkongsian (dengan ALLAH
(SwT)) dalam (mencipta dan mentadbirkan) langit dan bumi dan ALLAH (SwT) pula
tidak mendapat sebarang pertolongan dari mereka.
This verse refers TO THE FALSE, IMAGINARY DEITIES THE PEOPLE BELIEVED
IN. These gods possess no power or authority whatsoever to help themselves;
and, more so, they are
completely impotent to help their votaries during times of distress.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:22) (O Prophet), *38 say
to those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity: “Call upon those whom
you fancied to be deities beside Allah. *39 They own not even the smallest
particle, neither in the heavens nor on the earth; nor do they have any share
in the ownership of either of them. Nor is any of them even a helper of Allah.
*38 Until now
the mushriks' wrong notions about the Hereafter have been dealt with. From here
the discourse turns to the refutation of shirk itself.
*39 That is, "Allah makes and un-makes the destinies of individuals and nations and kingdoms in ways as you have seen from the stories of the Prophets David and Solomon and the people of Saba. Now, you may invoke, if you so like, these self-made gods of yours to see whether they also possess the power to change someone's good fortune into misfortune and misfortune into good fortune. "
*39 That is, "Allah makes and un-makes the destinies of individuals and nations and kingdoms in ways as you have seen from the stories of the Prophets David and Solomon and the people of Saba. Now, you may invoke, if you so like, these self-made gods of yours to see whether they also possess the power to change someone's good fortune into misfortune and misfortune into good fortune. "
SECTION 3
The
Holy Prophet Muhammad, the Apostle for humanity as a whole.
The imaginary false dieties own nothing anywhere in the Universe---ALLAH
(SWT) has no assistants to aid Him in anything---Only the permitted one will be
able to intercede for the sinners of the Day of Judgment---ALLAH (SWT) alone
sustains everyone---the Holy Prophet Muhammad the Apostle sent for humanity as
a whole---The term fixed Term can neither be deferred by anyone nor anyone can
hasten it on.
وَلَا تَنْفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا لِمَنْ
أَذِنَ لَهُ ۚ حَتَّىٰ إِذَا فُزِّعَ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ قَالُوا مَاذَا قَالَ
رَبُّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا الْحَقَّ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ{34:23}
[Q34:23] Wa
laa tanfa'ush shafaa'atu 'indahooo illaa liman azina lah; hattaaa izaa fuzzi'a
'an quloobihim qaaloo maazaa qaala Rabbukum; qaalul haqq, wa Huwal 'Aliyul Kabeer.
[Q34:23] And intercession will not avail aught with Him save of him whom He permits. Until when fear shall be removed from their hearts, They shall say: What is it that your Lord said? They shall say: The truth. And He is the Most High, the Great.
[Q34:23] And intercession will not avail aught with Him save of him whom He permits. Until when fear shall be removed from their hearts, They shall say: What is it that your Lord said? They shall say: The truth. And He is the Most High, the Great.
[Q34:23] Dan tidak berfaedah syafaat di
sisi ALLAH (SwT) kecuali bagi orang yang telah diizinkan ALLAH (SwT), (maka
orang-orang yang hendak memohon syafaat terpaksa menunggu izin itu dengan penuh
perasaan takut dan bimbang) sehingga apabila dihapuskan ALLAH (SwT) perasaan
takut dari hati mereka (dengan pemberian izin itu) bersukarialah mereka dengan
bertanya-tanyaan sesama sendiri: Apakah yang telah dititahkan oleh Tuhan kamu?
Sebahagian di antara mereka menjawab: Tuhan telah menitahkan kebenaran; dan
Dialah jua Yang Maha Tinggi keadaanNya, lagi Maha Besar kekuasaanNya.
Refer to the commentary
of Baqarah 2:48
and 255; Nisa 4:85; Yunus 10:3; Maryam 19:87; Ta Ha 20:109 and Anbiya 21:28.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:23) No intercession can avail with Allah except for
him whom Allah permits (to intercede). *40 When their hearts are relieved of
fright they will ask the intercessors: “What did your Lord say?” They will
reply: “(He said) what is right, and He is the High, the Great.” *41
*40 That is,
"Not to speak of owning something, or being a partner in the ownership of
something, or being a helper of Allah in any way, there exists no one in the
universe, who of his own accord may intercede for someone before Allah. You are involved in the misunderstanding
that there are' some beloved ones of God, or some such powerful personalities,
who can force and press God to accept their intercession, whereas the fact is
that no one will dare utter a word of recommendation there without Allah's
permission. Only such a one will be able to make his submissions, who is
permitted by Allah to do so, and will intercede for him alone for whom
permission for intercession is granted. (To understand the distinction
between the Islamic concept of intercession and the polytheistic concept, see
Yunus: 3, 18; Hud: 76, 105; Ta Ha: 109; Al-Anbiya': 28; AI-Hajj: 76).
*41 Here a graphic picture has been drawn of the time when on the Day of Resurrection an intercessor will be seeking permission to intercede on behalf of another. It presents this scene: "After submitting the application for permission, both the intercessor and the intercessee are awaiting the reply in a state of restlessness and awe. At last, when the permission is granted and the intercessee perceives satisfaction in the face of the intercessor he feels a little comforted and asks the intercessor: `What reply has been received?' The intercessor says, 'The right reply: permission has been granted.' What is meant to be impressed is this: `O foolish people! Such will be the awe of the great Court of Allah! How dare you entertain the notion that anybody will have you forgiven by his own power, or dare behave stubbornly and tell Allah: These are my favourites: they will have to be forgiven!"
*41 Here a graphic picture has been drawn of the time when on the Day of Resurrection an intercessor will be seeking permission to intercede on behalf of another. It presents this scene: "After submitting the application for permission, both the intercessor and the intercessee are awaiting the reply in a state of restlessness and awe. At last, when the permission is granted and the intercessee perceives satisfaction in the face of the intercessor he feels a little comforted and asks the intercessor: `What reply has been received?' The intercessor says, 'The right reply: permission has been granted.' What is meant to be impressed is this: `O foolish people! Such will be the awe of the great Court of Allah! How dare you entertain the notion that anybody will have you forgiven by his own power, or dare behave stubbornly and tell Allah: These are my favourites: they will have to be forgiven!"
قُلْ مَنْ يَرْزُقُكُمْ مِنَ السَّمَاوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ قُلِ اللَّهُ ۖ وَإِنَّا أَوْ إِيَّاكُمْ لَعَلَىٰ هُدًى أَوْ فِي
ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ {34:24}
[Q34:24] Qul
mai yarzuqukum minas samaawaati wal ardi qulil laahu wa innaaa aw iyyaakum
la'alaa hudan aw fee dalaalim mubeen
[Q34:24] Say: Who gives you the sustenance from the heavens and the earth? Say: ALLAH (SWT). And most surely we or you are on a right way or in manifest error.
[Q34:24] Say: Who gives you the sustenance from the heavens and the earth? Say: ALLAH (SWT). And most surely we or you are on a right way or in manifest error.
[Q34:24] Bertanyalah (wahai Muhammad
kepada orang-orang musyrik itu): Siapakah yang memberi rezeki kepada kamu dari
langit dan bumi? Terangkanlah jawabnya: Ialah ALLAH (SwT) dan sesungguhnya
(tiap-tiap satu golongan), samada golongan kami ahli tauhid atau golongan kamu
ahli syirik (tidak sunyi daripada salah satu dari dua keadaan): Keadaan
tetapnya di atas hidayat petunjuk atau tenggelamnya dalam kesesatan yang jelas
nyata.
This verse ASSERTS THAT RIGHT AND WRONG, GOOD AND EVIL, ARE
INCOMPATIBLE, ONE WITH ANOTHER. THERE IS NO COMPROMISE. It refutes the
theosophist point of view about religions that: "All are subjectively
true."
THE QURAN ASSERTS THAT THE RELIGIONS SHOULD BE
VALUED OBJECTIVELY, AND BOTH THE OPPOSITES CANNOT BE TRUE.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:24) Ask them, (O Prophet): “Who provides you
sustenance from the heavens and the earth?” Say: “Allah. *42 Now,
inevitably only one of us is rightly guided, either we or you; and the other is
in manifest error.” *43
*42 There is a
subtle gap between the question and the answer. The addressees were the
mushriks who not only did not disbelieve in the existence of Allah but also
knew and believed that the keys of the provisions are in His hand. But in spite
of this they held others also as Allah's associates in His work. Now when they
were confronted with the question: `Who gives you sustenance from the heavens
and the earth?" they were put in a tight comer. If they mentioned another
beside Allah they would say a thing contrary to their own and their people's
creed. If they showed stubbornness and said such a thing, they feared that
their own people would immediately refute them. And if they acknowledged that
AIlah alone is their Sustainer, they would immediately be confronted with the
next question: Then, why and what for have you made these others your
gods?" When Allah is the Sustainer, why should these others be served and
worshipped? Thus they stand confused and bewildered. Neither can they say that
Allah alone is the Sustainer nor that another god is the sustainer. When the
questioner sees that they do not make any answer, he himself answers his
question and says, Allah."
*43 This sentence contains an important point of the wisdom of preaching. The logical conclusion of the question and answer cited above would be that the one who serves and worships Allah should be on right guidance and the one who worships others beside Him should be misguided. Therefore, apparently, the conclusion should have been: `Then, we are rightly guided and you are misguided." But such a plain and straight reply, although correct and true, would not have been a wise thing from the point of view of preaching. For when a person is addressed and told plainly that he is misguided and the speaker claims to be rightly-guided himself, he will become obdurate and will never be inclined to accept and acknowledge the truth. As the Messengers of Allah are not sent only for the sake of speaking the plain truth, but are also entrusted with the duty of reforming the wrongdoers as tactfully as possible, AIlah has not asked His Prophet to cell them plainly, after the question and answer, that they are all misguided and that he atone is rightly-guided. Instead of this, it was said: `Tell them: it has become clear that we regard as our Deity only Him Who is the Sustainer, and you have taken as deities those who are not sustainers. Now, it is not possible that both you and we should be on right guidance simultaneously. Only one of us can be rightly-guided, and the other inevitably will be misguided. Now it is for you to consider and judge who is being proved by reason to be in the right and who in the wrong. "
*43 This sentence contains an important point of the wisdom of preaching. The logical conclusion of the question and answer cited above would be that the one who serves and worships Allah should be on right guidance and the one who worships others beside Him should be misguided. Therefore, apparently, the conclusion should have been: `Then, we are rightly guided and you are misguided." But such a plain and straight reply, although correct and true, would not have been a wise thing from the point of view of preaching. For when a person is addressed and told plainly that he is misguided and the speaker claims to be rightly-guided himself, he will become obdurate and will never be inclined to accept and acknowledge the truth. As the Messengers of Allah are not sent only for the sake of speaking the plain truth, but are also entrusted with the duty of reforming the wrongdoers as tactfully as possible, AIlah has not asked His Prophet to cell them plainly, after the question and answer, that they are all misguided and that he atone is rightly-guided. Instead of this, it was said: `Tell them: it has become clear that we regard as our Deity only Him Who is the Sustainer, and you have taken as deities those who are not sustainers. Now, it is not possible that both you and we should be on right guidance simultaneously. Only one of us can be rightly-guided, and the other inevitably will be misguided. Now it is for you to consider and judge who is being proved by reason to be in the right and who in the wrong. "
قُلْ لَا تُسْأَلُونَ عَمَّا أَجْرَمْنَا وَلَا
نُسْأَلُ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ {34:25}
[Q34:25] Qul
laa tus'aloona 'ammaaa ajramnaa wa laa nus'alu 'ammaa ta’maloon
[Q34:25] Say: You will not be questioned as to what we are guilty of, nor shall we be questioned as to what you do.
[Q34:25] Say: You will not be questioned as to what we are guilty of, nor shall we be questioned as to what you do.
[Q34:25] (Oleh itu) katakanlah (wahai
Muhammad): Kamu tidak akan bertanggungjawab tentang kesalahan yang kami lakukan
dan kami pula tidak akan bertanggungjawab tentang apa yang kamu kerjakan.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:25) Tell
them: “You will not be called to account about the guilt we committed, nor will
we be called to account for what you did.” *44
*44 The
about question had already made the listeners to think seriously, This
additional sentence was meant to make them think even more seriously, as if to
say, `It is in our own interest individually that we should consider and decide
the question of guidance and misguidance rightly. For if we are misguided, we
shall our-selves bear the consequences of our error; you will not be held
answerable for it. Therefore, it is in our own interest that we should consider
seriously, before adopting a creed that we are not following a wrong way.
Likewise, you also should think seriously for your own sake, not for our sake
in any way, and make sure that you are not investing your life's capital in a
false creed. For if you committed an error in this regard, you would be harming
only your own selves and not us. "
قُلْ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا رَبُّنَا ثُمَّ يَفْتَحُ
بَيْنَنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَهُوَ الْفَتَّاحُ الْعَلِيمُ {34:26}
[Q34:26] Qul
yajma'u bainanaa Rabbunaa summa yaftahu bainanaa bilhaqq; wa Huwal Fattaahul 'Aleem
[Q34:26] Say: Our Lord will gather us together, then will He judge between us with the truth; and He is the greatest Judge, the All-knowing.
[Q34:26] Say: Our Lord will gather us together, then will He judge between us with the truth; and He is the greatest Judge, the All-knowing.
[Q34:26] Katakanlah lagi: Tuhan kita
akan menghimpunkan Kita semua (pada hari kiamat), kemudian Dia akan
menyelesaikan perselisihan yang ada di antara kita dengan penyelesaian yang
benar dan Dialah jua Hakim yang seadil-adilnya, lagi Yang Maha Mengetahui
segala-galanya.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:26) Say:
“Our Lord will bring us together and then He will rightly judge between us. He
is the Great Judge, the All-Knowing.” *45
*45 This
is the last and the strongest motive for the consideration of which the
listeners' attention has been invited. It means to impress: "The thing is
not only that there is the difference of the truth and the falsehood between
you and us, but that both we and you have to be presented before our Lord, the
Being Who knows the truth and is also fully aware of the affairs of each of us.
There before Him not only will this thing be decided who, between you and us,
was in the right and who in the wrong, but this issue also will be settled how
we made every possible effort to make the truth plain to you, and how you
opposed and resisted us in your antagonism to the truth. "
قُلْ أَرُونِيَ الَّذِينَ أَلْحَقْتُمْ بِهِ
شُرَكَاءَ ۖ كَلَّا ۚ بَلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ {34:27}
[Q34:27] Qul
arooniyal lazeena alhaqtum bihee shurakaaa'a kallaa; bal HuwaL Laahul 'Azeezul Hakeem
[Q34:27] Say: Show me those whom you have joined with Him as associates; by no means (can you do it). Nay! He is ALLAH (SWT), the Mighty, the Wise.
[Q34:27] Say: Show me those whom you have joined with Him as associates; by no means (can you do it). Nay! He is ALLAH (SWT), the Mighty, the Wise.
[Q34:27] Katakanlah lagi: Tunjukkanlah
kepadaku sifat-sifat ketuhanan yang ada pada makhluk-makhluk yang kamu
hubungkan dengan ALLAH (SwT) sebagai sekutu-sekutuNya. Tidak ada pada sesuatu
makhluk pun sifat-sifat itu, bahkan yang mempunyai sifat-sifat ketuhanan ialah ALLAH
(SwT) Yang Maha Kuasa, lagi Maha Bijaksana.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:27) Say:
“Show me those whom you have attached to Him as His associates (in
Divinity).” *46 Nay, Allah alone is Most Mighty, Most Wise.
*46 That
is, "Before ever you take the great risk due to your reliance on these
deities, just tell me here who among them is so powerful as to arise in the
Court of Allah as your supporter and save you from His punishment."
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِلنَّاسِ
بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ {34:28}
[Q34:28] Wa
maaa arsalnaaka illaa kaaffatal linnaasi basheeranw wa nazeeranw wa laakinna
aksaran naasi laa ya'lamoon.
[Q34:28] And We have not sent you but to all the men as a bearer of good news and as a warner, but most men do not know.
[Q34:28] And We have not sent you but to all the men as a bearer of good news and as a warner, but most men do not know.
[Q34:28] Dan tiadalah Kami mengutusmu
(wahai Muhammad) melainkan untuk umat manusia seluruhnya, sebagai Rasul pembawa
berita gembira (kepada orang-orang yang beriman) dan pemberi amaran (kepada
orang-orang yang ingkar); akan tetapi kebanyakan manusia tidak mengetahui
(hakikat itu).
Refer to the commentary of Araf 7:158 and Anbiya 21:107.
ALLAH (SWT)'s
revelation, through the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), was not meant for one family or tribe,
one race or set of people. IT WAS MEANT FOR ALL MANKIND, TO WHOM, IF THEY
TURN TO ALLAH (SWT), IT IS A MESSAGE OF THE GLAD TIDINGS OF HIS MERCY, AND IF THEY DO NOT TURN TO HIM, IT IS A WARNING AGAINST DISOBEDIENCE AND THE INEVITABLE
PUNISHMENT.
µ
The Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali
Muhammad) is abashir (bearer of glad
tidings) as well as nadhir (warner).
It means that
most of the people do not appreciate the universality of the mission of the Holy
Prophet (ALLAHuma
sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), who was the
last of the prophets. Even among the Muslims there are some narrow-minded historians who
value the Islamic teachings as something having developed specifically out of
the conditions in pagan Arabia at that time.
µ
QURAN SAYS THAT IT WAS
REVEALED TO BESTOW ON MAN THE AWARENESS OF HIS FULL DYNAMIC POTENTIAL.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:28) (O
Prophet), We have not sent you forth but as a herald of good news and a warner
for all mankind. But most people do not know. *47
*47 That is,
"You have not been sent as a Prophet for the people of this city, or this
country, or this age alone, but for the people of the entire world and for
ever, but your compatriots do not recognize your worth and they do not realize
how great a person has been raised among them as a Prophet and how uniquely
they have been blessed by Allah."
The fact that the Holy Prophet has not been appointed a Prophet only for his own country or for his own age but for all mankind till Resurrection, has been stated at several places in the Qur'an. For instance,
"And this Qur'an has been revealed to me that I should thereby warn you and all those whom it may reach." (AI-An'am: 19).
"O Prophet, say: O mankind, I am a Messenger to all of you from Allah. " (Al-A'raf: 158).
"O Prophet, We have sent you to be a real blessing for all the people of the world." (Al-Anbiya' : 107) .
"Highly blessed is He Who has sent down Al-Furqan to His servant so that he may be a warner to all mankind." (Al-Furqan: 1).
The same thing has been stated by the Holy Prophet in a number of Ahadith in different ways. For example.
"I have been sent to all mankind, the black as well as the white." (Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyat Abu Musa Ash ari).
"I have been sent to alI mankind as a whole, whereas every Prophet before me was only sent to his own people." (Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyat 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin 'As). "Before me every Prophet was specifically sent to his own people; but I have been sent for all mankind." (Bukhari and Muslim: From Traditions related by Jabir bin 'Abdullah).
"My appointment as the Prophet and Resurrection are like this. Saying this the Holy Prophet raised his two fingers." (Bukhari and Muslim). What he meant by this was : "Just as no third finger intervenes between these two fingers, so there is no prophethood between the and Resurrection. After me there will be Resurrection only, and I shall be the Prophet till Resurrectian."
The fact that the Holy Prophet has not been appointed a Prophet only for his own country or for his own age but for all mankind till Resurrection, has been stated at several places in the Qur'an. For instance,
"And this Qur'an has been revealed to me that I should thereby warn you and all those whom it may reach." (AI-An'am: 19).
"O Prophet, say: O mankind, I am a Messenger to all of you from Allah. " (Al-A'raf: 158).
"O Prophet, We have sent you to be a real blessing for all the people of the world." (Al-Anbiya' : 107) .
"Highly blessed is He Who has sent down Al-Furqan to His servant so that he may be a warner to all mankind." (Al-Furqan: 1).
The same thing has been stated by the Holy Prophet in a number of Ahadith in different ways. For example.
"I have been sent to all mankind, the black as well as the white." (Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyat Abu Musa Ash ari).
"I have been sent to alI mankind as a whole, whereas every Prophet before me was only sent to his own people." (Musnad Ahmad: Marwiyat 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin 'As). "Before me every Prophet was specifically sent to his own people; but I have been sent for all mankind." (Bukhari and Muslim: From Traditions related by Jabir bin 'Abdullah).
"My appointment as the Prophet and Resurrection are like this. Saying this the Holy Prophet raised his two fingers." (Bukhari and Muslim). What he meant by this was : "Just as no third finger intervenes between these two fingers, so there is no prophethood between the and Resurrection. After me there will be Resurrection only, and I shall be the Prophet till Resurrectian."
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا الْوَعْدُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ
صَادِقِينَ {34:29}
[Q34:29] Wa
yaqooloona mataa haazal wa'du in kuntum saadiqeen.
[Q34:29] And they say: When will this promise be (fulfilled) if you are truthful?
[Q34:29] And they say: When will this promise be (fulfilled) if you are truthful?
[Q34:29] Dan mereka (yang ingkar)
bertanya: Bilakah berlakunya azab yang telah dijanjikan itu, jika betul kamu
orang-orang yang benar?
Refer to the commentary
of Ali Imran
3:145; Araf 7:34; Yunus 10:49; Hajj 22:15; Nahl 16:61; Muminun 40:43.
WHEN THE
APPOINTED HOUR COMES, THE RESPITE AUTOMATICALLY ENDS.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:29) They ask you: “When will this promise (of
Resurrection) be fulfilled, if what you say is true?” *48
*48 That is,
"When will the time come about which you say: `Our Lord will gather us
together, then He will judge between us rightly?' We have been denying you
persistently and opposing you openly for so long. Why is not then the judgement
being passed against us?"
قُلْ لَكُمْ مِيعَادُ يَوْمٍ لَا تَسْتَأْخِرُونَ
عَنْهُ سَاعَةً وَلَا تَسْتَقْدِمُونَ {34:30}
[Q34:30] Qul
lakum mee'aadu Yawmil laa tastaakhiroona 'anhu saa'atanw wa la tastaqdimoon.
[Q34:30] Say: You have the appointment of a day from which you cannot hold back any while, nor can you bring it on.
[Q34:30] Say: You have the appointment of a day from which you cannot hold back any while, nor can you bring it on.
[Q34:30] Jawablah (wahai Muhammad):
Untuk kamu disediakan satu hari yang kamu tidak dapat melambatkannya sesaat pun
dan tidak pula kamu dapat menyegerakannya.
(see
commentary for verse 29)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:30) Say: “Your day is appointed, you can neither
hold back its coming by an hour, nor hasten it by an hour.” *49
*49 In other
words, the reply means: "Allah's judgments arc not subject to your whims
that He should be bound to do a thing at the time which you have fixed for it.
He carries out His designs only according to His own discretion. You cannot
understand how long is mankind to be allowed to function in this world in the
scheme of Allah, how many individuals and how many nations are to be put to the
test in different ways, and what Will be the right time for the Day of Judgment
and summoning mankind of all ages for rendering their accounts. All this will
be accomplished only at the time which Allah has fixed for it in His scheme of things.
Your demands can neither hasten it on by a second nor your supplications can
withhold it by a second. "
SECTION 4
The
disbelievers and the ir leaders.
The disbelieversand their leaders shall throw the blame upon each
other---ALLAH (SWT) amplifies the sustenance to whomsoever He pleaseth.
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَنْ نُؤْمِنَ بِهَٰذَا
الْقُرْآنِ وَلَا بِالَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ۗ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰ إِذِ الظَّالِمُونَ
مَوْقُوفُونَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ الْقَوْلَ
يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا لَوْلَا أَنْتُمْ
لَكُنَّا مُؤْمِنِينَ {34:31}
[Q34:31] Wa
qaalal lazeena kafaroo lan nu'mina bihaazal Quraani wa laa billazee baina
yadayh; wa law taraaa iziz zaalimoona mawqoofoona 'inda Rabbihim yarji'u ba'duhum
ilaa ba'dinil qawla yaqoolul lazeenas tud'ifoo lillazeenas takbaroo law laaa
antum lakunnaa Mu’mineen.
[Q34:31] And those who disbelieve say: By no means will we believe in this Quran, nor in that which is before it; and could you see when the unjust shall be made to stand before their Lord, bandying words one with another! Those who were reckoned weak shall say to those who were proud: Had it not been for you we would certainly have been believers.
[Q34:31] And those who disbelieve say: By no means will we believe in this Quran, nor in that which is before it; and could you see when the unjust shall be made to stand before their Lord, bandying words one with another! Those who were reckoned weak shall say to those who were proud: Had it not been for you we would certainly have been believers.
[Q34:31] Dan orang-orang yang kafir
berkata: Kami tidak akan beriman sama sekali kepada Al-Quran ini dan tidak juga
kepada Kitab-kitab agama yang terdahulu daripadanya. Dan (sungguh ngeri) kalau
engkau melihat ketika orang-orang yang zalim itu dibawa berdiri di hadapan
Tuhan mereka (untuk dihisab), masing-masing tuduh menuduh antara satu dengan
yang lain. Orang-orang yang tertindas berkata kepada orang-orang yang sombong
takbur (yang menjadi ketuanya): Kalaulah tidak kerana kamu (menindas dan
memperdayakan kami), tentulah kami sudah menjadi orang yang beriman.
THE REFERENCE IS TO THE PEOPLE WHO NOT ONLY REJECTED THE QURAN, BUT ALSO CORRUPTED THE OTHER PREVIOUS SCRIPTURES WHICH CONTAINED THE
PROPHECIES ABOUT THE ADVENT OF THE LAST PROPHET OF ALLAH (SWT), WHO IS
THE UNIVERSAL TEACHER FOR THE WHOLE OF MANKIND.
¥
The people of the book, in their
proud assumption of being on the right path, and superior to all others,
disbelieved in the prophecies of their own scriptures, and also prevented
others from accepting what had been revealed in the Quran.
On the Day of Judgement each would accuse the other of having been
misled, BUT nothing shall be of any avail to the unjust.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:31) The unbelievers say: “We shall never believe in
this Qur’an, nor in any Scripture before it.” *50 If
you could only see the wrong-doers arrayed before their Lord, each bandying
charges against the other. Those who were suppressed will say to those who
waxed arrogant: “Had it not been for you, we would have been believers.” *51
*50 The allusion
is to the pagans of Arabia, who did not believe in any Divine Book.
*51 That is, "The common people who are following their leaders, chiefs, saints and rulers blindly, and are not prepared to listen to any word of advice from a well-wisher against them. When the same people will sec the actual reality and will also remember how their religious leaders used to misrepresent things, and when they will realize what doom they are going to meet on account of following their leaders, they will turn on them, and say, "O wretched people, you led us astray: you are responsible for all our afflictions. Had you not misguided us, we would have listened to the Messengers of AIlah and believed in what they said."
*51 That is, "The common people who are following their leaders, chiefs, saints and rulers blindly, and are not prepared to listen to any word of advice from a well-wisher against them. When the same people will sec the actual reality and will also remember how their religious leaders used to misrepresent things, and when they will realize what doom they are going to meet on account of following their leaders, they will turn on them, and say, "O wretched people, you led us astray: you are responsible for all our afflictions. Had you not misguided us, we would have listened to the Messengers of AIlah and believed in what they said."
قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُوا لِلَّذِينَ
اسْتُضْعِفُوا أَنَحْنُ صَدَدْنَاكُمْ عَنِ الْهُدَىٰ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَاءَكُمْ ۖ
بَلْ كُنْتُمْ مُجْرِمِينَ {34:32}
[Q34:32] Qaalal
lazeenas takbaroo lillazeenas tud'ifooo anahnu sadadnaakum 'anil hudaa ba'da iz
jaaa'akum bal kuntum mujrimeen.
[Q34:32] Those who were proud shall say to those who were deemed weak: Did we turn you away from the guidance after it had come to you? Nay, you (yourselves) were guilty.
[Q34:32] Those who were proud shall say to those who were deemed weak: Did we turn you away from the guidance after it had come to you? Nay, you (yourselves) were guilty.
[Q34:32] Orang-orang yang sombong takbur
itu menjawab kepada orang-orang yang tertindas: Kamikah yang telah menghalang
kamu daripada menerima hidayat petunjuk sesudah ia datang kepada kamu? (Bukan
kami yang menghalang) bahkan kamulah yang menyebabkan diri sendiri menjadi
orang-orang yang berdosa.
There will be mutual reproaches and accusations between the false leaders and the misled BUT none of them would be uttering the truth.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:32) The arrogant ones will retort to those who were
suppressed: “What! Did we bar you from the guidance after it came to you? Not
at all; rather you yourselves were evil-doers.” *52
*52 That is,
“They will say: We had no power by which a few of us could have compelled
hundreds of thousands of the people like you to follow us: If you had the will
to believe, you could have deposed us from leadership and power and authority
and government. In fact, you were our army: you were the source of our wealth
and power. But for your offerings and gifts and taxes we should havc been
paupers. Had you not sworn allegiance to us, we could not have flourished as saints
even for a day. Had you not appreciated and applauded us as leaders, we would
have remained unknown. Had you not become our army and fought against the whole
world for our sake, we could not have ruled over a single individual. Now why
don't you admit that you yourselves did not want to follow the way that the
Messengers had presented before you. You were the slaves of your own lusts and
desires, and the demands of your selves could not be fulfilled by the righteous
way of life presented by the Messengers but by what we presented before you.
You were heedless of the lawful and the unlawful and craved for the luxuries of
life, which we only could provide you. You were in search of such guides as
could give you the licence to commit any sin, any crime, and take on themselves
the responsibility to have you forgiven by God, in exchange for gifts. You
wanted to listen to such religious scholars only who could please you by
proving every kind of shirk and every innovation in religion and every lust of
your self to be the very truth. You needed such forgerers who could invent a
new religion by altering the Religion of God after your desires. You wanted to
follow such leaders who could help you become prosperous in this world, no
matter how you fared in the Hereafter. You wished to have such rulers who were
immoral and dishonest so that under their patronage you also could havc the
freedom to indulge in any sin, any immorality. Thus, you and we were equal
partners in the bargain. Now you cannot delude anyone by saying that you were
absolutely innocent and that we had spoiled and corrupted you against your
will."
وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا لِلَّذِينَ
اسْتَكْبَرُوا بَلْ مَكْرُ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَا أَنْ
نَكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَنْدَادًا ۚ وَأَسَرُّوا النَّدَامَةَ لَمَّا
رَأَوُا الْعَذَابَ وَجَعَلْنَا الْأَغْلَالَ فِي أَعْنَاقِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۚ
هَلْ يُجْزَوْنَ إِلَّا مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ {34:33}
[Q34:33] Wa
qaalal lazeenastud'ifoo lillazeenas takbaroo bal makrul laili wannahaari iz
taamuroonanaaa an nakfura biLLaahi wa naj'ala lahooo andaadaa; wa asarrun
nadaamata lammaa ra awul 'azaab; wa ja'alnal aghlaala feee a'naaqil lazeena
kafaroo; hal yujzawna illaa maa kanoo ya’maloun.
[Q34:33] And those who were deemed weak shall say to those who were proud. Nay, (it was) planning by night and day when you told us to disbelieve in ALLAH (SWT) and to set up likes with Him. And they shall conceal regret when they shall see the punishment; and We will put shackles on the necks of those who disbelieved; they shall not be requited but what they did.
[Q34:33] And those who were deemed weak shall say to those who were proud. Nay, (it was) planning by night and day when you told us to disbelieve in ALLAH (SWT) and to set up likes with Him. And they shall conceal regret when they shall see the punishment; and We will put shackles on the necks of those who disbelieved; they shall not be requited but what they did.
[Q34:33] Dan berkata pula orang-orang
yang tertindas kepada orang-orang yang sombong takbur itu: Tidak! Bahkan (yang
menghalang kami daripada beriman ialah) perbuatan kamu memperdaya kami malam
dan siang, ketika kamu menyuruh kami berlaku kufur kepada ALLAH (SwT) dan
mengadakan sekutu-sekutu bagiNya. Akhirnya masing-masing diam sambil
memendamkan perasaan sesal dan kecewa semasa mereka melihat azab dan Kami
pasangkan belenggu-belenggu pada leher orang-orang yang kafir itu. Mereka tidak
dibalas melainkan dengan apa yang mereka telah kerjakan.
The
more intelligent who exploit the less intelligent are constantly
plotting night and day to keep the latter under their thumb. **TO REMAIN IN POWER THE INTELLIGENT AMONG MEN, WHO ALSO BECOME ARROGANT, SHOW THE WAYS OF
EVIL TO THE IGNORANT.**
ä Asarru has been
interpreted by some commentators to mean: "they expressed"; and by
others to mean: "they hid their regret." Both interpretations are justified in the sense that by throwing the
blame on each other their regret is exposed without any individual directly
expressing his fault.
The
"shackles" are their own deeds which shall hang around
their necks weighing them down.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:33) Those
who were suppressed will say to those who waxed arrogant: “By no means; it was
your scheming, night and day, when you would enjoin us to disbelieve in Allah
and set up others as equals to Him.” *53 When
they are confronted with the chastisement, they will be remorseful in their
hearts. We shall put fetters around the necks of the unbelievers. Can people be
requited except for their deeds?
*53 In other
words, the common people's reply will be: "How can you hold us as equal
partners in this responsibility? Do you also remember what sort of trickeries
and deceptions and false propaganda you practised and what efforts you used to
make to tempt and entice the people day and night. It is not just that you presented the world
before us and we were allured, but this also is a fact that you used to befool
us by your frauds and deceptions and each one of you brought a new bait every
day to tempt and lure the simple people."
The Qur'an has made mention of the dispute between the religious guides and their followers at different places in different ways. For details, see AI-A'raf: 38-39; Ibrahim: 21; AI-Qasas: 63; Al-Ahzab: 66-68; AI-Mu`min: 47-48; Ha Mim Sajdah: 29.
The Qur'an has made mention of the dispute between the religious guides and their followers at different places in different ways. For details, see AI-A'raf: 38-39; Ibrahim: 21; AI-Qasas: 63; Al-Ahzab: 66-68; AI-Mu`min: 47-48; Ha Mim Sajdah: 29.
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ إِلَّا
قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَا إِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَافِرُونَ {34:34}
[Q34:34] Wa
maaa arsalnaa' fee qaryatim min nazeerin illaa qaala mutrafooaa innaa bimaaa
ursiltum bihee kaafiroon
[Q34:34] And We never sent a warner to a town but those who led lives in ease in it said: We are surely disbelievers in what you are sent with.
[Q34:34] And We never sent a warner to a town but those who led lives in ease in it said: We are surely disbelievers in what you are sent with.
[Q34:34] Dan Kami tidak mengutus kepada
sesebuah negeri: Seseorang Rasul pemberi amaran melainkan orang-orang yang
berada dalam kemewahan di negeri itu berkata: Sesungguhnya kami tetap
mengingkari apa yang kamu diutuskan membawanya.
The vested interests of the people always stood against every prophet of ALLAH (SWT).
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:34) We never sent a warner to any town but its
wealthy ones said: “We disbelieve in the Message you have brought.” *54
*54 That the
message of the Prophets was first of all opposed and resisted by the well-to-do
people who possessed wealth and influence and authority, has been stated at
many places in the Qur'an. For instance, see Al-An'am: 123; AI-A'raf: 60, 66,
75, 88, 90; Hud: 27; Bani Isra`il: 16; Al-Mu`minun: 24, 33 to 38, 46, 47;
Az-Zukhruf: 23. '
وَقَالُوا نَحْنُ أَكْثَرُ أَمْوَالًا وَأَوْلَادًا
وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ {34:35}
[Q34:35] Wa
qaaloo nahnu aksaru amwaalanw wa awlaadanw wa maa nahnu bimu 'azzabeen
[Q34:35] And they say: We have more wealth and children, and we shall not be punished.
[Q34:35] And they say: We have more wealth and children, and we shall not be punished.
[Q34:35] Dan mereka berkata lagi: Kami
lebih banyak harta benda dan anak pinak dan kami pula tidak akan diseksa.
PEOPLE BECAME **INFATUATED WITH WORLDLY
POWER AND **POSITION.
VERSES 34 TO 39 refer to the
general tendency of people to attach importance to abundance of wealth and
children, WHILE through
the Qur’an ALLAH (SWT) REVEALS THAT IT
IS PEOPLE'S FAITH AND GOOD DEEDS WHICH ARE THE MEANS OF APPROACH TO ALLAH
(SWT).
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:35) They
always said: “We have more wealth and children than you have, and we shall not
be chastised.” *55
*55 Their
reasoning was: "We are greater favourites of Allah than you. That is why
He has favoured us with the blessings of which you are deprived, or have
received them in lesser measure. Why should Allah have given us all these
provisions and wealth and power had He not been pleased with us? Now, how can
we believe that Allah Who is showering us with all kinds of His blessings here
will punish us in the Hereafter? He will punish only those who are deprived of
His favours here,"
This misunderstanding of the world-worshippers also has been mentioned at several places in the Qur'an and refuted. For instance, see AI-Baqarah: 126, 212; At-Taubah: 55, 69; Hud: 3, 27; Ar-Ra'd: 26; Al-Kahf: 34 to 43; Maryam: 73 to 77; Ta Ha: 131; Al-Mu'minun: 55 to 61; Ash-Shu`ara': 111; Al-Qasas: 76 to 83; Ar-Rum: 9; Al-Muddaththir: 11-26: Al-Fajr: 15 to 20.
This misunderstanding of the world-worshippers also has been mentioned at several places in the Qur'an and refuted. For instance, see AI-Baqarah: 126, 212; At-Taubah: 55, 69; Hud: 3, 27; Ar-Ra'd: 26; Al-Kahf: 34 to 43; Maryam: 73 to 77; Ta Ha: 131; Al-Mu'minun: 55 to 61; Ash-Shu`ara': 111; Al-Qasas: 76 to 83; Ar-Rum: 9; Al-Muddaththir: 11-26: Al-Fajr: 15 to 20.
قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّي يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ
وَيَقْدِرُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ {34:36}
[Q34:36] Qul
inna Rabbee yabsutur rizqa limai yashaaa'u wa yaqdiru wa laakinna aksaran naasi
laa ya'lamoon.
[Q34:36] Say: Surely my Lord amplifies the means of subsistence for whom He pleases and straitens (for whom He pleases), but most men do not know.
[Q34:36] Say: Surely my Lord amplifies the means of subsistence for whom He pleases and straitens (for whom He pleases), but most men do not know.
[Q34:36] Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad):
Sesungguhnya Tuhanku memewahkan rezeki bagi sesiapa yang dikehendakiNya dan Dia
juga yang menyempitkan (bagi sesiapa yang dikehendakiNya); akan tetapi
kebanyakan manusia tidak mengetahui (hakikat itu).
MAN IS ASSURED THAT HE
NEED NOT YIELD TO ANYONE OTHER THAN ALLAH (SWT) OUT OF ANXIETY FOR HIS
SUSTENANCE BECAUSE
it is ALLAH (SWT) alone who provides each
of His creatures with all their needs.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:36) (O Prophet), say to them: “My Lord grants
provision abundantly to whomsoever He pleases and straitens it for whomsoever
He pleases. But most people do not know this. *56
*56 They do not
understand the wisdom on which the system of the distribution of provisions is
based in the world, and are thus involved in the misunderstanding that whoever
is being given abundantly is a beloved of Allah and whoever is being given
sparingly is under His wrath. The fact, however, is that if a person looks
around with open eyes he will see that in most cases the people with filthy and
repulsive character are prosperous, and many good and noble people, who are
known and recognized as morally pure, are found living in poverty. Now, how can
a sensible person say that Allah dislikes the people of pure character and
favours the wicked wrongdoers?"
وَمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ بِالَّتِي
تُقَرِّبُكُمْ عِنْدَنَا زُلْفَىٰ إِلَّا مَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا
فَأُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ جَزَاءُ الضِّعْفِ بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَهُمْ فِي الْغُرُفَاتِ
آمِنُونَ {34:37}
[Q34:37] Wa
maaa amwaalukum wa laaa awlaadukum billatee tuqarribukum 'indanaa zulfaaa illaa
man aamana wa 'amila saalihan fa ulaaa'ika lahum jazaaa'ud di'fi bimaa 'amiloo
wa hum fil ghurufaati aaminoun.
[Q34:37] And not your wealth nor your children, are the things which bring you near Us in station, but whoever believes and does good, these it is for whom is a double reward for what they do, and they shall be secure in the highest places.
[Q34:37] And not your wealth nor your children, are the things which bring you near Us in station, but whoever believes and does good, these it is for whom is a double reward for what they do, and they shall be secure in the highest places.
[Q34:37] Dan bukanlah harta benda kamu
dan tidak juga anak pinak kamu yang mendampingkan kamu di sisi Kami walau
sedikitpun, kecuali orang-orang yang beriman dan beramal soleh, maka mereka itu
akan beroleh balasan yang berlipat ganda disebabkan apa yang mereka telah
kerjakan dan mereka pula ditempatkan dalam mahligai-mahligai (di Syurga) dengan
aman sentosa.
THE CRITERION FOR JUDGING MAN'S PERSONAL MERIT WILL
NOT BE BASED ON [1] ANY MATERIAL POSSESSIONS, OR
[2] ANY INFLUENCE, [**]
OTHER THAN SPIRITUAL EXCELLENCE AND MANIFESTED
RIGHTEOUSNESS IN PRACTICAL LIFE. All worldly goods are nothing but a passing cloud that casts a shadow,
running away with them.
REAL SELF-DEVELOPMENT NEEDS CORRECT FAITH
AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IN DAILY LIFE. THE REWARD FOR
RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL BE MANIFOLD.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:37) It is not your riches nor your
children that make you near-stationed to Us, except for him who has faith and
acts righteously; *57 it is they who will receive double the
recompense for their deeds. They shall live in lofty mansions in perfect
peace. *58
*57 This can
have two meanings and both are correct: (1) That which
brings the people nearer to Allah is not wealth and children but faith and
righteous deeds; and (2) wealth and
children can become a means of nearness to Allah only for that believing,
righteous person, who spends his wealth in the way of Allah and tries to make
his children God-conscious and righteous by good education and training.
*58 Here there is also a subtle allusion that their blessing shall be imperishable, and their reward endless. For one cannot enjoy with full satisfaction of the heart a reward which is likely to perish or withdrawn suddenly at any time.
*58 Here there is also a subtle allusion that their blessing shall be imperishable, and their reward endless. For one cannot enjoy with full satisfaction of the heart a reward which is likely to perish or withdrawn suddenly at any time.
وَالَّذِينَ يَسْعَوْنَ فِي آيَاتِنَا مُعَاجِزِينَ
أُولَٰئِكَ فِي الْعَذَابِ مُحْضَرُونَ {34:38}
[Q34:38] Wallazeena
yas'awna feee Aayaatinaa mu'aajizeena ulaaa'ika fil'azaabi muhdaroon.
[Q34:38] And (as for) those who strive in opposing Our communications, they shall be caused to be brought to the chastisement.
[Q34:38] And (as for) those who strive in opposing Our communications, they shall be caused to be brought to the chastisement.
[Q34:38] Dan orang-orang yang berusaha
menentang dan membatalkan ayat-ayat keterangan Kami sambil menyangka dapat
melepaskan diri (dari hukuman Kami), mereka itu akan berada di dalam azab
seksa.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:38) As
for those who work against Our Signs so as to frustrate them, they shall be
arraigned into the chastisement.
قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّي يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ
مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَقْدِرُ لَهُ ۚ وَمَا أَنْفَقْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ
يُخْلِفُهُ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ {34:39}
[Q34:39] Qul
inna Rabbee yabsutur rizqa limai yashaaa'u min 'ibaadihee wa yaqdiru lah; wa
maaa anfaqtum min shai'in fahuwa yukhlifuhoo wa Huwa khairur Raaziqeen
[Q34:39] Say: Surely my Lord amplifies the means of subsistence for whom He pleases of His servants and straitens (them) for whom (He pleases), and whatever thing you spend, He exceeds it in reward, and He is the best of Sustainers.
[Q34:39] Say: Surely my Lord amplifies the means of subsistence for whom He pleases of His servants and straitens (them) for whom (He pleases), and whatever thing you spend, He exceeds it in reward, and He is the best of Sustainers.
[Q34:39] Katakanlah
(wahai Muhammad): Sesungguhnya Tuhanku memewahkan rezeki bagi sesiapa yang
dikehendakiNya di antara hamba-hambaNya dan Dia juga yang menyempitkan baginya;
dan apa sahaja yang kamu dermakan maka ALLAH (SwT) akan menggantikannya dan
Dialah jua sebaik-baik Pemberi rezeki.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(34:39) Say,
(O Prophet): “Verily, my Lord grants provision abundantly to whomsoever He
pleases and straitens it for whomsoever He pleases. *59 Whatever you spend, He will
replace it. He is the Best of all Providers.” *60
*59 The
repetition of this theme is meant to impress this: The abundance or restriction
of the provisions is connected with Allah's will, not with His pleasure and
approval. Under the will of Allah every good or evil person is receiving his
provision. Both those who believe in Him and those who do not believe are
getting their provisions. Neither is abundance of the provisions a proof that
one is Allah's favourite servant nor is its restriction a sign that one is
under His wrath. Under His will a wicked and dishonest person prospers,
although wickedness and dishonesty are disliked by Allah. On the contrary,
under the same Divine will a truthful and honest man suffers losses and
undergoes hardships although these qualities arc liked by Allah. Hence, the
person who regards the material gains and benefits as the criterion for the
good and evil is grossly mistaken. The real criterion is Allah's pleasure and
approval which is attained through the moral qualities liked and approved by
Him. With these qualities if a person gets -the worldly blessings as well it
will certainly be Allah's bounty for which he should be grateful to Him. But if
from the moral point of view a person is Allah's rebel and is disobedient to
Him and in spite of that is being favoured with worldly blessings, it would
mean that he is preparing himself for a strict accountability and a most severe
punishment.
*60 Sustainer, Creator, Inventor, Donor and many other such attributes are in actual fact the attributes of Allah, but are metaphorically applied to men also. For example, about a person we may say, °He provided a job for so-and-so, or he made or invented such and such a thing, or he made a gift to so-and-so " Accordingly, Allah has used the word Khair ar Raziqin (the Best of Providers) for Himself. It means to impress the fact that Allah is the best of Providers among aII those about whom you think that they are in any way connected with arranging the provisions.
*60 Sustainer, Creator, Inventor, Donor and many other such attributes are in actual fact the attributes of Allah, but are metaphorically applied to men also. For example, about a person we may say, °He provided a job for so-and-so, or he made or invented such and such a thing, or he made a gift to so-and-so " Accordingly, Allah has used the word Khair ar Raziqin (the Best of Providers) for Himself. It means to impress the fact that Allah is the best of Providers among aII those about whom you think that they are in any way connected with arranging the provisions.
وَيَوْمَ يَحْشُرُهُمْ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يَقُولُ
لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ أَهَٰؤُلَاءِ إِيَّاكُمْ كَانُوا يَعْبُدُونَ {34:40}
[Q34:40] Wa
yawma yahshuruhum jamee'an summa yaqoolu lilmalaaa'ikati a-haaa'ulaaa'i
iyyaakum kaanoo ya’budoon
[Q34:40] And on the day when He will gather them all together, then will He say to the angels: Did these worship you?
[Q34:40] And on the day when He will gather them all together, then will He say to the angels: Did these worship you?
[Q34:40] Dan (ingatkanlah) masa ALLAH
(SwT) menghimpunkan mereka semua (pada hari kiamat), kemudian Dia bertanya
kepada malaikat: Adakah orang-orang ini, (kamu setujui) menyembah kamu dahulu?
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(34:40) And
on the Day when He will muster them all and will ask the angels: “Are they the
ones who worshipped you?” *61
*61 Since
the earliest times the polytheists in every age have been looking upon the
angels as gods and goddesses and carving their idols and worshipping them. One
has been regarded as the god of rain, another of lightning and another of wind;
one is the goddess of wealth, another of knowledge and another of life and
death. About this Allah says that on the Day of Resurrection the angels will be
asked: °Were you being worshipped as deities by these people?" This
question is not meant merely to find out the truth, but to ask, "Did you
approve of their worship? Did you tell the people that you were their deities,
so they should worship you? Or, did you wish that the people should do
obeisance to you?" This question will not only be asked of the angels but
of aII those beings who have been worshipped as gods in the world. In Surah AI-Furqan
it has been said: "On that Day (Allah) will gather all these people
together as well as their deities, whom they worship beside Allah. Then he will
ask them, 'Did you mislead these servants of Mine, or did they themselves go
astray?'" (V. 17).
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