SURAH (50) QAF (AYA 1 to 20)

Sura (50) QAF (The word Qaf) Aya 1 to 45 in 3 Sections

Revealed at Makka

SECTION 1

Nature testifies the Resurrection

the wonder of the disbelievers about the Qur’an, and a Warner being raised from among themselves---The birth and the rebuirth in nature proves Resurrection to be a fact---The fate of the previous disbeliver people.

ق ۚ وَالْقُرْآنِ الْمَجِيدِ {50:1}

[Q50:1] Qaaaf; wal Qur aanil Majeed. 
[Q50:1] Qaf. I swear by the glorious Quran (that Muhammad is the Messenger of ALLAH (SWT))

[Q50:1] Qaaf. Demi Al-Quran yang melimpah-limpah kemuliaan dan kebaikannya (bahawa sesungguhnya Muhammad adalah Rasul yang diutus memberi peringatan dan amaran).

For "Qaf" refer to the commentary of Baqarah 2:1. The use of the letter-symbols to begin the Surahs, seem to indicate that the matter following it is not poetry BUT prose. This seems to refute the opinion that the Holy Qur’an is only an enchanting poetry.

õ  Some commentators conjecture that ‘Q’ stands for some of the qualifying names of ALLAH (SWT) ---viz., Qadir, Aahir, Qadeer, Qadeem, Qayyoom, etc. while some say, it is one of the names of the Holy Qur’an.

BUT ALL THESE ARE CONJECTURES, THE ACTUAL MEANING IS A SECRET conveyed to the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), who in turn has conveyed to his divinely commissioned successors, the Holy Imams.

It is universally acknowledged that the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) declared “I am the City of Knowledge and Ali is its Gate.” Naturally and essentially next to the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), the secrets of the Word of ALLAH (SWT), i.e., the Holy Qur’an, must be with Ali.

†  No doubt it must necessarily be with the custody of all secrets that Ali is called ‘Mazharul-Ajaib’ i.e., the Manifestation of Wonders, and ‘Mozherul Gharaib’ the Manifester of Marvels.

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(50:1) Qaf. By the glorious Qur’an. *1

*1 The word "majid" is used for expressing two meanings in Arabic: for expressing the high rank, status, honor and dignity of a person, and for saying that somebody is highly generous, charitable and beneficent. This word has been used for the Qur'an in both these meanings. The Qur'an is great and glorious in the sense that no book of the world can be brought up against it. It is a miracle both in its language and literary excellence and in its teaching and wisdom. Humans were helpless to produce the like of it at the time when it was sent down and are likewise helpless even today. Nothing of it could ever be proved wrong in any age, nor can anything of it be proved wrong in the present age. Falsehood can neither attack it from the front nor from the rear, nor defeat it. And it is generous and beneficent in the sense that the more a man goes on trying to gain guidance from it, the more of guidance it goes on giving him, and the more he follows and obeys its commands and instructions the more he continues to be blessed with good, things of the world and the Hereafter. There is no limit to its benefits and advantages where a man may become independent of it, and where it may cease to be beneficial and useful for him.

بَلْ عَجِبُوا أَنْ جَاءَهُمْ مُنْذِرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَقَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ هَٰذَا شَيْءٌ عَجِيبٌ {50:2}

[Q50:2] Bal 'ajibooo an jaa'ahum munzirum minhum faqaalal kaafiroona haazaa shai'un ‘ajeeb. 
[Q50:2] Nay! They wonder that there has come to them a warner from among themselves, so the unbelievers say: This is a wonderful thing:

[Q50:2] (Kaum musyrik Mekah bukan sahaja mengingkari kerasulannya) bahkan mereka merasa hairan kerana datang kepada mereka, dari kalangan mereka sendiri, seorang Rasul pemberi peringatan dan amaran (mengenai perkara hidup semula sesudah mati); lalu orang-orang yang kafir itu berkata: Ini adalah satu perkara yang menakjubkan! 

Refer to the commentary of Rad 13:5; Muminun 23:33 to 37, 82; Naml 27:67, and 68.

Raj-un ba-id means "a return far removed from the range of possibility". The resurrection of the body was derided at by the disbelievers as an idle imagination. When the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) illustrated the raising of the dead by analogies of nature and the power of ALLAH (SWT) in creation, they used to say it was unheard of therefore unbelievable.

©  It is said that human body becomes dust after death, BUT the bodies of martyrs, prophets and their successors (Imams) remain as they are buried till the Day of Resurrection.

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(50:2) Nay; they wondered that a warner should have come to them from among themselves. *2 The unbelievers said: “This indeed is a strange thing.

*2 This sentence is a unique example of eloquence. In it a vast subject has been compressed into a few brief words. The object for which an oath has been sworn by the Qur'an has not been mentioned. In stood, a subtle gap has been left and the sentence is resumed with "nay". If one thinks a little and also keeps in view the background in which this has been said, one comes to know what-is the subject of the gap that has been left between the oath and "nay". In fact, what has been sworn of is this: "The people of Makkah have not refused to acknowledge the Prophet hood of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) for any sound reason but for the highly unsound reason that a member of their own kind and an individual of their own nation has cone to them as a Warner from God and this is something highly surprising for them; whereas what would actually be surprising was if God had remained unconcerned about the well-being and adversity of His servants and made no arrangement whatever to warn them; or had sent a non-human to warn the human beings; or a Chinese to warn the Arabs. Therefore, this basis of the denial is absolutely unsound, and a reasonable person cannot but admit that there must exist some arrangement from God to warn the servants, and in the form that the Warner himself should be a person from among the people to whom he is sent." As for the question whether Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) is the person whom God has sent on this mission, no other evidence is needed to settle it but this glorious and beneficent Qur'an, which he is presenting; this is by itself enough to provide a proof of it. This explanation shows that in this verse an oath has been sworn by the Qur'an to impress the point that Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) is really the Messenger of AIIah and the disbelievers' surprise and wonder about his apostleship is misplaced, and the fact of the Qur'an's being "majid" is a proof of this claim. 

أَإِذَا مِتْنَا وَكُنَّا تُرَابًا ۖ ذَٰلِكَ رَجْعٌ بَعِيدٌ {50:3}

[Q50:3] 'A-izaa mitnaa wa kunnaa turaaban zaalika raj'um ba’eed 
[Q50:3] What! When we are dead and have become dust? That is afar (from probable) return.

[Q50:3] Adakah (kita akan kembali hidup) sesudah kita mati dan menjadi tanah? Itu adalah cara kembali yang jauh (dari kemungkinan, kerana jasad yang telah hancur tidak dapat diketahui lagi). 

(see commentary for verse 2)

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(50:3) What! When we are dead and reduced to mere dust, (shall we be raised to life)? Such a return is far-fetched.” *3

*3 This was the second cause of their surprise, the first being that a member of their own kind and clan had arisen with the claim that he had come as a warner to them from God. They were further surprised that the person was warning them to the effect that all men will be raised back to life after death and they will be produced aII together in the Court of AIIah where their deeds will be subjected to accountability and they will be rewarded and punished accordingly. 

قَدْ عَلِمْنَا مَا تَنْقُصُ الْأَرْضُ مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَعِنْدَنَا كِتَابٌ حَفِيظٌ {50:4}

[Q50:4] Qad 'alimnaa maa tanqu-sul-ardu minhum wa 'indanaa Kitaabun hafeez
[Q50:4] We know indeed what the earth diminishes of them, and with Us is a writing that preserves.

[Q50:4] (Apa yang mereka katakan itu tidaklah benar, kerana) Kami sedia mengetahui apa yang dimakan oleh bumi sedikit demi sedikit dari (tubuh orang mati) mereka, serta ada di sisi Kami sebuah Kitab yang menyimpan (catitan segala perkara yang berlaku). 

THE EARTH ONLY TURNS THE BODIES INTO DUST, BUT IT HAS NO POWER OVER THE SOUL.

ß  The full account of the soul's activities is in the preserved tablet (lawh makfuz); see commentary of Zukhruf 43:4

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(50:4) (Thus do they imagine, although) We know well what the earth takes away from them. With Us is a Record that preserves everything. *4

*4 That is, "If it cannot be comprehended by intellect, it is their own narrow mind to blame. It does not mean that Allah's knowledge and power also should be narrow. They think that it is in no way possible to collect the scattered particles of the bodies of the countless human beings who have died since the beginning of creation and will die till Resurrection. But the fact is that Allah directly knows each of those particles in whatever form and in whichever place they are. Furthermore, a full record of this is being maintained in the Register of Allah, which has not left out any particle un-recorded. Then, as soon as AIIah commands, His angels will forthwith take out every particle from wherever it is with the help of this record, and will make up the same bodies once again in which human beings had lived and worked in the world."
This verse also is one of those verses which point out that the lift hereafter will not only be a physical lift as it is in this world, but the body of every person also will be the same which he had in this world. If it were not so, it would be meaningless to tell the disbelievers: "We know very well whatever the earth consumes of their bodies and We have a Book which preserves everything " (For further explanation, sec E.N. 25 of Surah Ha Mim As-Sajdah)

بَلْ كَذَّبُوا بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ فَهُمْ فِي أَمْرٍ مَرِيجٍ {50:5}

[Q50:5] Bal kazzaboo bilhaqqi lammaa jaaa'ahum fahum feee amrim mareej. 
[Q50:5] Nay, they rejected the truth when it came to them, so they are (now) in a state of confusion.

[Q50:5] (Mereka tidak mahu berfikir betul) bahkan mereka (terburu-buru) mendustakan kebenaran apabila sahaja sampainya kepada mereka; oleh sebab itu, mereka berada dalam keadaan yang serba kacau. 

If the disbelievers do not understand what has been made clear to them, their minds necessarily get into confusion, SO AT TIMES THEY DOUBT AND AT TIMES THEY DENY ALTOGETHER.

Ø  All nature proves the absolute power, goodness and justice (orderliness) of ALLAH (SWT). The universe, with all the stars and planets and lights in them and laws of order, motion and harmony, is sufficient to convince an intelligent mind to believe in ALLAH (SWT) and the boundless effects of His will.

Ø  The round earth has been spread out as a vast expanse, kept steady with the weight of mountains. See commentary of Rad 13:3; Hijr 15:19; Hajj 22:5.

ALL THESE MANIFESTATIONS MAKE A TRUE BELIEVER CONTEMPLATE, AND HE REMEMBERS THEM AS CLEAR EVIDENCE OF ALLAH (SWT)'S POWER, GOODNESS AND JUSTICE. As ALLAH (SWT) gives new life to a dead land, He shall render possible the resurrection.

THE QURAN DRAWS MAN'S ATTENTION TO THE CONTINUITY OF THE CREATION IN SPACE AND TIME TO PROVE THE CERTAINTY OF RESURRECTION. THUS LIFE IN ITS VARIOUS STAGES IS AN EVOLUTIONARY CONTINUITY.

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(50:5) They gave the lie to the Truth when it came to them. So they are now in a state of great perplexity. *5

*5 In this brief sentence also a vast subject has been compressed. It means: These people did not rest content only with expressing wonder and declaring the thing to be far removed from reason, but when the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) presented his message of the Truth they denied it as falsehood without any hesitation. Its inevitable result was, and the same only could follow from it, that they are not agreed on any one position with regard to the invitation and the Messenger who has presented it. Sometimes they brand him a poet, sometimes sorcerer, and sometimes a madman. Sometimes they say that he is a magician and sometimes that he is bewitched. Sometimes they say that he has fabricated this thing by himself in order to establish-. his superiority, and sometimes they bring the charge that there peace and blessings) himself was standing in Makkah and reciting the Qur'an to the people, who had known and seen him grow up from childhood to youth and mature manhood before their eyes, the full meaning of these allusions was by itself clear and evident to every person. Therefore, leaving it aside, detailed easoning is now being presented about the authenticity of the second thing which those people regarded as strange and far removed from reason and intellect. 

أَفَلَمْ يَنْظُرُوا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَوْقَهُمْ كَيْفَ بَنَيْنَاهَا وَزَيَّنَّاهَا وَمَا لَهَا مِنْ فُرُوجٍ {50:6}

[Q50:6] Afalam yanzurooo ilas samaaa'i fawqahum kaifa banainaahaa wa zaiyannaahaa wa maa lahaa min furouj? 
[Q50:6] Do they not then look up to heaven above them how We have made it and adorned it and it has no gaps?

[Q50:6] (Kalaulah mereka menyangka Kami tidak berkuasa mengembalikan mereka hidup semula) maka tidakkah mereka memandang ke langit yang ada di sebelah atas mereka (dengan tidak bertiang) bagaimana Kami membinanya (dengan rapi) serta Kami menghiasinya (dengan bintang-bintang) dan dengan keadaan tidak ada padanya retak-renggang?  

(see commentary for verse 5)

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(50:6) Did they *6 never observe the sky above them: how We built it and beautified it; *7 and it has no cracks; *8

*6 Question? 
*7 Here, by the sky is implied the whole firmament that man finds spread over him, day and night, in which the sun shines in the day and the moon and countless stars glitter at night, which amazes him even when he sees it with the bare eye, but which appears as a vast, limitless Universe when he looks at it through the telescope. It seems to be starting from nowhere and ending nowhere. Millions of times larger planets than our earth are moving in it like tiny balls; thousands of times brighter stars than ow sun are shining in it our this entire solar system is located in a comer of its only one galaxy; only in this one galaxy there exist at (east three thousand million other stars like our own sun, and man's observation has s0 far discovered one million such galaxies. Out of the lacs of galaxies our nearest, neighboring galaxy is 'so distant from us that its light reaches the earth in ten lac years traveling at the speed of 186,000 miles per second. This shows the vastness of that part of the Universe which has so far been observed and explored by man. As to how vast is the entire Universe of God we have no means to estimate and judge. Maybe that the known Universe of man does not bear with the entire Universe even that ratio which a drop of water beats with the ocean. If about the God Who has brought this huge and wonderful Universe into being, this tiny talking animal, called man, who creeps the earth, asserts that He cannot recreate him once again after death, it would be due to narrowness of his own mind. The power of the Creator of the Universe would not at aII be affected by it!
*8 That is, "In spite of its amazing vastness the wonderful order of the Universe is so coherent and firm and its composition so perfect that there is no crack or cleft in it, and its continuity breaks nowhere. This can be understood by an example. Radio astronomers of the present age have observed a galactic system which they have named Source 3c 295. They think that its rays which are now reaching us might have left it more than four thousand million years ago. The question is: How could it be possible for the rays to reach the earth from such a distant source had the continuity and coherence of the Universe between the earth and the galaxy been broken somewhere and its composition been split at some point. AIIah, in fact, alludes to this reality and puts this question before man "When you cannot point out even a small breach in this system of My Universe, how did the concept of any weakness in My power enter your mind, that after the respite of your test is over, if I like to bring you back to life to subject you to accountability before Me, I would not be able to do so?" This is not only a proof of the possibility of the Hereafter but also a proof .of Tauhid. These rays' reaching the earth from a distance of four thousand million light years and being detected by the man-made instruments expressly points to the fact that from the galaxy to the earth the entire world has been made up of one and the same substance continuously, one and the same kind of the forces are working in it, and they are functioning according to the same laws without any difference and disparity. Were it not so the rays could neither have reached here, nor detected by the instruments which Tnan had made after understanding the laws working on the earth and its surroundings. This proves that One God alone is the Creator of this whole Universe and its Master and Ruler and Controller.

وَالْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ وَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ زَوْجٍ بَهِيجٍ {50:7}

[Q50:7] Wal arda madadnaahaa wa alqainaa feehaa rawaasiya wa ambatnaa feehaa min kulli zawjim baheej, 
[Q50:7] And the earth, We have made it plain and cast in it mountains and We have made to grow therein of all beautiful kinds,

[Q50:7] Dan juga (keadaan) bumi ini, (bagaimana) Kami bentangkan ia sebagai hamparan, dan Kami letakkan padanya gunung-ganang yang terdiri kukuh, serta Kami tumbuhkan padanya pelbagai jenis tanaman yang indah subur?  

(see commentary for verse 5)

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(50:7) and We have spread out the earth, and have set upon it firm mountains, and have caused it to bring out plants of all beauteous kinds? *9

*9 For explanation, sec E.N.'s 12, 13, 14 of An-Nahl, E.N.'s 73, 74 of An-Naml, and E.N. 7 of Az-Zukhruf. 

تَبْصِرَةً وَذِكْرَىٰ لِكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مُنِيبٍ {50:8}

[Q50:8] Tabsiratanw wa zikraa likulli 'abdim muneeb 
[Q50:8] To give sight and as a reminder to every servant who turns frequently (to ALLAH (SWT)).

[Q50:8] (Kami adakan semuanya itu) untuk menjadi perhatian dan peringatan, (yang menunjukkan jalan kebenaran), kepada tiap-tiap seorang hamba ALLAH (SwT) yang mahu kembali kepadaNya (dengan taat dan berbakti). 

(see commentary for verse 5)

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(50:8) All these are to serve as eye openers and as a lesson to every being who is prone to turn (to the Truth).

وَنَزَّلْنَا مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً مُبَارَكًا فَأَنْبَتْنَا بِهِ جَنَّاتٍ وَحَبَّ الْحَصِيدِ {50:9}

[Q50:9] Wa nazzalnaa minas samaaa'i maaa'am mubaarakan fa ambatnaa bihee jannaatinw wa habbal haseed,
[Q50:9] And We send down from the cloud water abounding in good, then We cause to grow thereby gardens and the grain that is reaped,

[Q50:9] Dan juga Kami telah menurunkan dari langit air (hujan) yang banyak faedahnya, lalu Kami tumbuhkan dengan air itu pokok-pokok tanaman (buah-buahan) dan biji-bijian yang dituai;  

(see commentary for verse 5)

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(50:9) We also sent down blessed water from the heaven, wherewith We caused gardens and harvest-grain to grow,

وَالنَّخْلَ بَاسِقَاتٍ لَهَا طَلْعٌ نَضِيدٌ {50:10}

[Q50:10] Wannakhla baasiqaatil laha tal'un nadeed
[Q50:10] And the tall palm-trees having spadices closely set one above another,

[Q50:10] Serta pohon-pohon kurma yang tinggi menjulang, yang mengeluarkan mayang, berlapis-lapis, lagi lebat putiknya;  

(see commentary for verse 5)

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(50:10) and tall palm-trees with their thickly-clustered spathes;

رِزْقًا لِلْعِبَادِ ۖ وَأَحْيَيْنَا بِهِ بَلْدَةً مَيْتًا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ الْخُرُوجُ {50:11}

[Q50:11] Rizqal lil'ibaad, wa ahyainaa bihee baldatam maitaa; kazaalikal khurooj
[Q50:11] A sustenance for the servants, and We give life thereby to a dead land; thus is the rising.

[Q50:11] (Semuanya itu) sebagai rezeki bagi hamba-hamba Kami dan lagi Kami telah hidupkan dengan air itu bumi yang mati; demikianlah pula keadaan keluarnya (orang-orang yang mati dari kubur setelah dibangkitkan hidup semula). 

(see commentary for verse 5)

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(50:11) all this as sustenance for Our servants. And thus We do bring the dead land back to life with water. *10 Such shall be the coming forth (of human beings from the earth). *11

*10 For explanation, set E.N.'s 73, 74, 81 of An-Naml, E.N.'s 25, 33, 35 of Ar-Rum and E. N . 29 of Ya Sin. 
*11 The reasoning is this: `Your conjecture about God Who made this sphere of the earth a suitable home for living creatures and Who by combining the lifeless clay of the earth with the lifeless water from the sky produced such a fine vegetable life that you witness flourishing in the form of your gardens and crops, and W ho made the vegetation a means of sustenance for both man and beast, that He has no power to resurrect you after death, is a foolish and absurd conjecture. You witness almost daily the phenomenon that a Iand is lying barren and lifeless; then as soon as it receives a shower of rain, it gives birth to an endless train of life all of a sudden, the roots lying dead for ages sprout up and a variety of insects emerge playfully from the layers of the earth. This is a manifest proof that life after death is not impossible. When you cannot deny this express observation of yours, how can you deny that when Allah wills, you too will sprout up from the earth as the vegetation sprouts. In this connection, one may note that in many parts of Arabia it does not sometimes rain for as long as five years at a stretch and sometimes even for longer periods the land does not receive even a drop of rain. For such long intervals in the burning deserts it is not conceivable that the roots of grass and the insects of the earth would survive. In spite of this when a little of the rain falls at some place, grass sprouts up and the insects of the earth return to life. Therefore, the inhabitants of Arabia can understand this reasoning much better than those people who do not have to experience such long periods of drought. 

كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ وَأَصْحَابُ الرَّسِّ وَثَمُودُ {50:12}

[Q50:12] Kazzabat qablahum qawmu Noohinw wa Ashaabur Rassi wa Samood.
[Q50:12] (Others) before them rejected (prophets): the people of Nuh and the dwellers of Ar-Rass and Samood,

[Q50:12] Sebelum mereka (yang menentang Nabi Muhammad) itu kaum Nabi Nuh dan "Ashaabur-Rassi" serta Thamud (kaum Nabi Soleh), telah juga mendustakan Rasul masing-masing, 

For the people of Nuh see Hud 11:25 to 48; for the people of Rass see Furqan 25:38; for the Ad and the Thamud see Shu-ra 26:123 to 158; for the people of Lut see Araf 7:80 to 84; for the people of the wood see Hijr 15:78, 79; for the people of Tubba see Dukhan 44:37; and for Firawn see Baqarah 2:49, 50 and other references in Ta Ha 20:9 to 98.

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(50:12) In the past Noah’s people, and the people of Rass *12 and Thamud gave the lie (to Messengers),

*12 Before this the people of Rass (Ashab ar-Rass) have been mentioned in Surah AI-Furqan: 38 above, and now here, but at both places they have been only referred to as of those nations who rejected the Prophets. No other detail about them has been given. In the traditions of Arabia two places are well known by the name of ar-Rass, one in the Najd and the other in northern Hejaz. Of these ar-Rass of the Najd is better known and has been referred to more often in the pre-Islamic poetry of Arabia. Now it is difficult to detetmine which of these was the home of the Ashab ar-Rass. No reliable detail of their story is found in any tradition either. The most that one can say with certainty is that it was a nation which had thrown its Prophet into a well. But from the mere allusion that has been made to them in the Qur'an one is led to think that in the time of the revelation of the Qur'an the Arabs were generally aware of this nation and its history, but the traditions about them could not be preserved in historic records. 

وَعَادٌ وَفِرْعَوْنُ وَإِخْوَانُ لُوطٍ {50:13}

[Q50:13] Wa 'Aadunw wa Fir'awnu wikhwaanu Loot, 
[Q50:13] And Ad and Firon and Lut's brethren,

[Q50:13] Dan juga Aad (kaum Nabi Hud) dan Firaun, serta kaum Nabi Lut,  

(see commentary for verse 12)

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(50:13) and so did ‘Ad, and Pharaoh *13 and Lot’s brethren,

*13 Only the Pharaoh has been mentioned instead of the people of Pharaoh, for he had so dominated his people that they had been left with no independent opinion and will of their own, apart from him. They followed him willy-nilly wherever he led them. That is why he alone was held responsible for the deviation and degeneration of his people. Wherever there exists the freedom of will and action for a nation, it by itself bears the burden of its deeds, and wherever one man's dictatorship may have rendered a nation powerless the one man alone takes on his head the burden of the sins of entire nation. This doesn't mean that the nation becomes absolved from its duty and responsibility when the one man alone has burdened himself with the responsibility. This is not so. The nation in such a case becomes responsible for the moral weakness shown by it in that why it allowed a man to overpower and dominate it so completely. The same thing has been alluded to in Az-Zukhruf: 54, thus: "Pharaoh took his people to be light, and they obeyed him, for they were indeed a sinful people. " (For explanation, see E.N. 50 of Surah Az-Zukhruf). 

وَأَصْحَابُ الْأَيْكَةِ وَقَوْمُ تُبَّعٍ ۚ كُلٌّ كَذَّبَ الرُّسُلَ فَحَقَّ وَعِيدِ {50:14}

[Q50:14] Wa Ashaabul Aykati wa qawmu Tubba'; kullun kazzabar Rusula fahaqqa Wa’eed 
[Q50:14] And the dwellers of the grove and the people of Tuba; all rejected the messengers, so My threat came to pass. 

[Q50:14] Dan juga penduduk "Aikah", serta kaum "Tubba'"; tiap-tiap satu kaum itu telah mendustakan Rasul-rasul (yang diutus kepadanya), lalu mereka ditimpa azab yang Aku janjikan. 

(see commentary for verse 12)

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(50:14) and the people of Aykah, and the people of Tubba’. *14 *15 They all gave the lie to the Messengers. *16 Thereafter My threat of chastisement against them was fulfilled. *17

*14 For explanation, see E.N. 37 of Surah Saba; E.N, 32 of Surah Dukhan.
*15 That is, they all denied the apostleship of their Messengers as well as the news given by them that they will be raised back to life after death.
*16 Although every nation denied only the Messenger who was sent to it, as it denied the news which all the Messengers have been presenting unanimously, denying one Messenger, therefore, amounted to denying all of them. Moreover, these nations did not merely deny the apostleship of the Messenger who had come to them, but they were not at all inclined to believe that a mere human could be appointed by Allah for the guidance of other men. Therefore, they denied apostleship itself, and .the crime of no one was confined to belying and rejecting any one Messenger only.
*17 This is a reasoning from history for the Hereafter. In the preceding six verses, arguments were given for the possibility of the Hereafter; in these the historical end of the nations of Arabia and the adjoining lands has been presented as an argument to prove that the doctrine of the Hereafter which all the Prophets have been presenting, is the very truth, for whichever nation denied it became involved in the moral degeneration of the worst kind with the result that the torment of God descended on it and eliminated it from the world. This necessary result of the denial of the Hereafter and moral perversion which one can witness throughout history, is an express proof of the fact that man has not been created to be irresponsible in this world, but he has necessarily to render an account of his deeds as soon as the time limit for action at his disposal comes to an end. That is why whenever he works in the world irresponsibly, his whole lift pattern is set on the path of ruin. If evil and wrong results go on following a course of action successively, it is a clear proof that that course of action is in conflict with the truth. 

أَفَعَيِينَا بِالْخَلْقِ الْأَوَّلِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ فِي لَبْسٍ مِنْ خَلْقٍ جَدِيدٍ {50:15}

[Q50:15] Afa'a yeenaa bilkhalqil awwal; bal hum fee labsim min khalqin jadeed? 
[Q50:15] Were We then fatigued with the first creation? Yet are they in doubt with regard to a new creation.

[Q50:15] (Setelah mereka melihat dan memerhatikan makhluk-makhluk yang Kami ciptakan itu) maka adakah Kami telah lemah dengan ciptaan yang pertama itu (sehingga Kami tidak dapat mengadakannya semula? Tidak! Dan merekapun tidak mengingkari kekuasaan Kami). Bahkan mereka berada dalam keadaan keliru dan ragu-ragu tentang ciptaan makhluk-makhluk (hidup semula) dalam bentuk yang baru. 

See commentary of Ahqaf 46:33.

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(50:15) Did We, then, become worn out by the first creation? Not at all; but they are in doubt about a fresh creation. *18

*18 This is a rational argument for the Hereafter. The person who is not a denier of God and is also not foolish as to regard this excellently ordered Universe and the creation of man in it as a mere accident, cannot help but admit that God alone has created man and this whole Universe. Now this actual fact that we exist alive in this world and this great work-house of the earth and heavens is functioning before us, by itself is an obvious proof that God was in no way powerless in creating us and this Universe. Yet if a man says that after bringing about Resurrection the same God will not be able to bring about a new world order and will not be able to create us once again, he says an irrational thing. Had God been powerless He would not have been able to create all this in the first instance. When He has created the Universe in the first instance and we ourselves came into existence by virtue of that act of creation, what can then be the rational ground for assuming that He will become powerless to re-make the dismantled thing originally made by Himself? 

SECTION 2

ALLAH (SWT) is nearer to every being than its Life-Vein

The nearest to every being is ALLAH (SWT), nearer even than its life-vein---Every word and action of everyone is recorded---On the Day of Judgment everybody’s mind will be discovered and the sight will be sharpened---The guilty will be chastised and none will be done the least unjust.

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ ۖ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ {50:16}

[Q50:16] Wa laqad khalaqnal insaana wa na'lamu maa tuwaswisu bihee nafsuhoo wa Nahnu aqrabu ilaihi min hablil wareed. 
[Q50:16] And certainly We created man, and We know what his mind suggests to him, and We are nearer to him than his life-vein.

[Q50:16] Dan demi sesungguhnya, Kami telah mencipta manusia dan Kami sedia mengetahui apa yang dibisikkan oleh hatinya, sedang (pengetahuan) Kami lebih dekat kepadanya daripada urat lehernya,

ALLAH (SWT) CREATED MAN, SO BY VIRTUE OF HIS BEING THE CREATOR, HE IS AWARE OF MAN'S INHERENT WEAKNESSES. HE GAVE MAN INTELLECT, CONSCIOUSNESS AND FREE-WILL. The phrase "nearer than the jugular vein" implies that ALLAH (SWT) knows, more truly, the innermost state of man's feelings and consciousness, THAN does his own self.

IN VIEW OF HIS NEARNESS TO THE SOUL OF MAN, announced in this verse, if a man makes efforts to bring his intellect, spiritual functions of the soul and strength of character in harmony with the will of the Lord, he can absorb the divine attributes and rise above other human beings in order to let his will dominate over matter.

The man of ALLAH (SWT) is such an individual whose will manifests wonders to astonish the world.

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(50:16) Surely We *19 have created man, and We know the promptings of his heart, and We are nearer to him than even his jugular vein. *20

*19 After presenting the arguments for the Hereafter, it is being stated: `Whether you believe in the Hereafter, or deny it, it has to come in any case, and it is such a factual reality, which will certainly come about in spite of your denial. If you heed the warning given by the Prophets in advance and prepare for it, you will be doing good to yourselves; if you do not believe in it, you will be inviting your own doom. Your denial will not prevent the Hereafter from taking place and God's Law of justice will not became suspended."
*20 That is, "Our power and Our knowledge has so encompassed man from within and without that Our power and knowledge is closer to him than his own neck-vein. We do not have to travel from a distance to hear what he says, but We directly know every thought that arises in his heart. Likewise, when We shall want to seize him, We will not have to seize him after covering a distance, for wherever he is, he is in Our grasp; and whenever We will, We will seize him."

إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ {50:17}

[Q50:17] 'Iz yatalaqqal mutalaqqi yaani 'anil yameeni wa 'anish shimaali qa’eed.
[Q50:17] When the two receivers receive, sitting on the right and on the left.

[Q50:17] Semasa dua malaikat (yang mengawal dan menjaganya) menerima dan menulis segala perkataan dan perbuatannya; yang satu duduk di sebelah kanannya dan yang satu lagi di sebelah kirinya. 

TWO ANGELS ARE CONSTANTLY WITH EVERY HUMAN BEING TO NOTE HIS OR HER **THOUGHTS, **WORDS AND **ACTIONS. One sits on the right side and records good deeds and the other on the left, to record bad deeds, CORRESPONDING to the people of the right and the people of the left mentioned in Waqi-ah 56:27 and 41.

± EVERY **THOUGHT, **WORD AND **ACTION IS RECORDED BY THE RECORDING ANGELS. THE ANGELS' RECORD IS COMPLETE.

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(50:17) Moreover, there are two scribes, one each sitting on the right and the left, recording everything.

مَا يَلْفِظُ مِنْ قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ {50:18}

[Q50:18] Maa yalfizu min qawlin illaa ladaihi raqeebun ‘ateed 
[Q50:18] He utters not a word but there is by him a watcher at hand.

[Q50:18] Tidak ada sebarang perkataan yang dilafazkannya (atau perbuatan yang dilakukannya) melainkan ada di sisinya malaikat pengawas yang sentiasa sedia (menerima dan menulisnya).  

(see commentary for verse 17)

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(50:18) He utters not a word, but there is a vigilant watcher at hand. *21

*21 That is, "On the one hand, We Our self directly know man's actions and movements, even his hidden thoughts; on the other, every man has two angels appointed over him, who are recording whatever he does and says; none of his actions or words is left unrecorded. " This means that when man is produced in the Court of Allah, Allah at that time Himself also will be knowing what each person has done in the world; besides, there will also be two witnesses who will produce documentary evidence of the person's actions and deeds. As to what will be the nature of this documentary evidence, it is difficult for us to have a precise conception of it. But from the facts that we are witnessing today, it seems certain that the voices and pictures and marks of man's actions and movements are being preserved and imprinted on every particle of the environment in which he lives and works, and each one of these can be reproduced in exactly the same form and voice so as to Leave no difference whatever between the original and its copy. Man is doing this on a very limited scale with the help of his inventions, but the angels of God neither stand in need of these machines nor are bound by any limitation. Man's own body and everything around it is their tape and their film upon which they can record every voice and every image along with its minutest and most delicate detail precisely and exactly, and can make man hear, on the Day of Resurrection, with his own ears, in his own voice, those very things which he talked in the world, and can make him see, with his own eyes, the pictures of all his misdeeds, whose genuineness he would not possibly be able to deny. Here, one should also understand that in the Court of the Hereafter Allah will not punish anybody only on the basis of His own knowledge, but will punish him after fulfilling all the requirements of justice. That is why an exhaustive record is being got prepared of every person's words and deeds in the world so that a complete proof with undeniable evidence becomes available of everyone's life-work and activity. 

وَجَاءَتْ سَكْرَةُ الْمَوْتِ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنْتَ مِنْهُ تَحِيدُ {50:19}

[Q50:19] Wa jaaa'at kullu nafsim ma'ahaa saaa'iqunw wa shaheed. 
[Q50:19] And the stupor of death will come in truth; that is what you were trying to escape.

[Q50:19] Dan (apabila sampai ajal seseorang) datanglah "Sakaratulmuat" membawa kebenaran (yang telah dijanjikan, serta dikatakan kepada yang mengingkarinya sebelum itu): Inilah perkara yang engkau selalu mengelak diri daripadanya! 

The stupor of death may mean agony or loss of consciousness immediately before the onset of death. CONSCIOUSNESS IS THE FIRST FUNCTION WHICH THE DYING MAN LOSES.

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(50:19) Lo, the agony of death has indeed come with the Truth. *22 That is what you had sought to avoid. *23

*22 "To come with the truth" implies that the agony of death is the starting point when the reality which had remained concealed in the world, begins to be uncovered. At this point man starts seeing clearly the other world of which the Prophet had forewarned him. Here, man also comes to know that the Hereafter is the very truth, and also this whether he is entering this second stage of life as favored or damned.
*23 That is, "This is the same reality which you refused to believe. You desired that you should live and go about as an unbridled rogue in the world, and there should be no other life after death, in which you may have to suffer for the consequences of your deeds, That is why you shunned the concept of the Hereafter and were not at all inclined to believe that this next world would ever be established. Now, you may see that the same next world is unveiling itself before you". 

وَنُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ يَوْمُ الْوَعِيدِ {50:20}

[Q50:20] Wa nufikha fis Soor; zaalika yawmul Wa’eed 
[Q50:20] And the trumpet shall be blown; that is the day of the threatening.

[Q50:20] Dan lagi (apabila sampai saat yang ditentukan) ditiuplah sangkakala (untuk menghidupkan semula makhluk-makhluk yang telah mati); saat itu ialah hari berlakunya amaran yang telah diberikan. 

THE NEXT STAGE WILL BE THE JUDGMENT, HERALDED WITH THE BLOWING OF THE TRUMPET. See commentary of Anam 6:74; Ya Sin 36:51 and Zumar 39:68.

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(50:20) And then the Trumpet was blown. *24 This is the day of the promised chastisement.

*24 This implies that blowing of the Trumpet at which alI dead men will rise back to life in their own physical bodies. For explanation, see E.N. 47 of AIAn'am, E.N. 57 of Ibrahim, E.N. 78 of Ta. Ha, E.N.1 of AI-Hajj, E.N.'s 46,47 of Ya Sin, and E.N. 79 of Az-Zumar.