Sura (55) AR-RAHMAN (The Beneficent) Aya 1 to 78 in 3 Section
Revealed at Makka
الرَّحْمَٰنُ {55:1}
[Q55:1] Ar Rahmaan.
[Q55:1] The Beneficent ALLAH (SWT),
[Q55:1] The Beneficent ALLAH (SWT),
Refer to the summary of surah al
Fatihah and commentary of verse 1:1 of al
Fatihah for ‘AR
RAHMAN’, the
beneficent. For His all-embracing
mercy or beneficence see Araf 7:156.
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(55:1) The Merciful One
عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ {55:2}
[Q55:2] ‘Allamal Qur’aan.
[Q55:2] Taught the Quran.
[Q55:2] Taught the Quran.
IT IS THE BENEFICENT LORD WHO TAUGHT THE QUR’AN TO THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI
MUHAMMAD).
ALLAH (SWT) IS THE TEACHER.
The book is
that which was taught. The book is the
manifestation of the universal grace of ALLAH (SWT) who Himself is its teacher; AND
ACCORDING to the Qur’an:
Ü THE SOLE MANIFESTATION OF HIS ‘RAHMANIYYAT’ IS THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI
MUHAMMAD). Refer
to Anbiya
21:107.
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(55:2) has taught the Qur’an, *1
*1 THAT
IS, THE TEACHING OF THIS QUR'AN IS NOT THE PRODUCTION OF A MAN'S MIND BUT ITS
TEACHER IS THE MERCIFUL GOD HIMSELF. Here, there was no need to tell as to whom
AIIah had imparted this Qur'anic teaching for the people were hearing it from
the tongue of the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings).
Therefore, the situation by itself made it evident that the teaching had been
imparted to Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings). To begin the
discourse with this sentence is meant, first of aII, to tell that the
Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) himself is not its
author, but its Teacher is AIlah Almighty. Furthermore, there is another
object also to which the word Rahman
(Merciful)
is pointing. If the purpose was only to say that that teaching is from Allah,
and not the production of the Prophet's mind, there was no need to use an
attribute of AIIah instead of His proper name, acid for that purpose any
attribute from among the Divine attributes could have been adopted, But when,
instead of saying that AIIah, or the Creator, or the Providence, has taught
this, it was said: 'The Merciful (Ar-Rahman)
has taught this Qur'an,' it by itself gave the meaning that the revelation of
the Qur'an for the guidance of mankind was nothing but Allah's mercy and grace,
As He is most kind and Merciful to His creation, He did not like that He should
leave them wandering in the darkness, and His mercy demanded that He should
send down this Quran to bleu them with the knowledge on which depends their
right guidance and conduct in the world and their success and well-being in the
Hereafter, "
خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ {55:3}
[Q55:3] Khalaqal insaana.
[Q55:3] He created man,
[Q55:3] He created man,
Refer to the commentary
of Baqarah
2:30 to 38; Hijr 15:26 to 29 and Sajdah 32:9.
THE FIRST MAN, ADAM, WAS CREATED PURE,
FREE FROM SIN. It must be remembered
that sinning is a later occurance in the mankind subsequent to the creation of
the First man, and when the First
man was created the individual must naturally have been with the purity OR the
divinity of the Creator, reflecting in him.
© Verse 15:9 of Hijr says
that ALLAH (SWT) breathed His spirit (ruh) into man (Adam), SO HE REFLECTED DIVINITY
which carried knowledge originating from the beneficent Lord as stated in verse 2:31 of
al Baqarah ---ALLAH (SWT) taught Adam "the names"
(the actuality of the panjatan), the source of knowledge of all things.
© According
to verse
6:59 of An-am the knowledge of
everything, wet or dry, is in the Qur’an.
© This
is the man who has been referred to in verse 3 of this Surah.
© SINNING was introduced to man by Iblis after man's creation.
ALLAH (SWT) ASKED THE ANGELS TO PROSTRATE BEFORE
ADAM AFTER BREATHING HIS SPIRIT INTO HIM. The
prostration was not made before the body of Adam BUT BEFORE the spirit of ALLAH (SWT)
which carried life or existence (hayat), knowledge (ilm) and authority (qudrat).
AS THE ANGELS DID NOT HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE TAUGHT TO ADAM, THE COMMAND TO ACCEPT ADAM'S
SUPERIORITY WAS JUST. IT MEANS THAT THE INTEGRATION
OF DIVINE FACULTIES IN ADAM TOOK
PLACE BECAUSE OF THE SPIRIT OF ALLAH (SWT) WHICH PURIFIED HIM. ADAM WAS THE GRAND SIRE OF THE THOROUGHLY
PURIFIED AHLUL BAYT mentioned in Ahzab 33:33.
The Holy Prophet said:
"I was the prophet
of ALLAH (SWT) when Adam was yet in the (womb) of water and clay. It was my
light (nur) which ALLAH (SWT) created before all creation."
µ THUS
"man" (insan) referred to in this verse is
the divinely conditioned, integrated and perfected being of the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma
sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad). It was
this original purity of the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma
sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) which,
when was invested with Adam,
entitled him to receive obeisance from the angels.
µ The
HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad)'s
light passed through the progeny of Adam,
manifested in the messengers and prophets of ALLAH
(SWT), AND reached Abdul Muttalib.
µ THEN
IT BIFURCATED into his two sons Abdullah
and Abu Talib; and from Abdullah
it manifested in Muhammad and from Abu Talib it manifested in Ali. The HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma
sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) said: "I and Ali
are from one and the same light."
µ Then
again these two rays of the divine light were united, through Ali and Fatimah, and manifested in Hasan, Husayn and the nine Imams in
their progeny mentioned in the commentary of Baqarah 2:124.
THE LIGHT OF THE PERFECTED MAN, THE HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALI ALA MUHAMMAD WA ALA ALI
MUHAMMAD),
CARRIED WISDOM, PURITY AND AUTHORITY AND MANIFESTED THEM IN THE CHAIN OF
PROPHETS as mentioned above. Verse 87:14 of Ala and verse 91:9 of Shams say: "He indeed will succeed who cleanses
(purifies) himself."
SO THOSE WHO DESIRE TO ATTAIN
SUCCESS HAVE TO ATTACH THEMSELVES TO THE THOROUGHLY PURIFIED AHLUL BAYT AND
FOLLOW THEIR TEACHINGS AND LIFE PATTERN. ANY DEVIATION FROM THEM WILL LEAD TO POLLUTION,
EVIL AND WICKEDNESS.
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(55:3) has created man, *2
*2 In other words, as Allah is the
Creator of man, and it is the Creator's responsibility to provide guidance to
His creation and show it the way by following which it may fulfil the object of
its erection, the revelation of this Qur'anic teaching from Allah is not only
the demand of Allah's mercifulness but also the necessary and natural demand of
His being the Creator. Who else would provide guidance to the creation if not
the Creator? And if the Creator did not provide guidance, who else could? And
what greater defect could there be for a creator that he should not teach his
creation the method of fulfilling the object, for which it has been created?
Thus, in fact, the arrangement and' provision of the teaching for man by Allah
is not anything strange; it would be strange if no such arrangement had been
made at all, Allah has not just left alone whatever He has created in the
Universe, but has given it the most appropriate structure by which it may play
its role in the system of nature and has taught it the method of playing that
role effectively and successfully. Thus,
each single hair and each single cell of man's own body has been born with the
knowledge of how it has to carry out the task in the human body for which it
has been created, Then, after aII how could man himself remain deprived and
independent of his Creator's teaching and guidance? This theme has been
presented in the Qur'an at different places in different ways, In Surah
Al-lail; 12, it has been said; "Indeed, it is for Us to toll the Way"
in surah An-Nahl: 9, it is said Allah has taken upon Himself to show the Right
Way, when there exist erooked ways too:12 In surah Ta Ha (vv: 47-50) it has
been stated that when the Pharaoh heard the prophetic message from the Prophet
Moses and asked who was his Lord who had sent him as a Messenger to him, the
Prophet replied: "Our Lord is He Who has given a distinctive form to everything and
then guided it aright. " That is, He has taught it the method by
which it could carry out and fulfil the object of its creation in the system of
existence. This is the reasoning by which an unbiased mind is satisfied that
the coming of the Prophets and the Books from AIIah for the instruction of man
is the very demand of nature
عَلَّمَهُ الْبَيَانَ {55:4}
[Q55:4] ‘Allamahul bayaan.
[Q55:4] Taught him the mode of expression.
[Q55:4] Taught him the mode of expression.
‘Bayan’ means **intelligent speech, **power of
expression, **capacity to understand clearly THE RELATIONS
OF THINGS AND REVELATION IN NATURE AND TO EXPLAIN THEM.
î The
revelation given to man through prophets is the highest example of bayan as verse 3:138 of Ali Imran
asserts.
î The
Qur’an (bayan) the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala
Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) recited to mankind has no equal. Refer to Baqarah 2:23;
Yunus 10:37 and 38; Hud 11:13; Bani Israil 17:88 and Tur: 34.
MAN HAS BEEN ENDOWED WITH THE FACULTIES
OF **CONTEMPLATION AND **EXPRESSION. The degree and the
time of development of these endowments distinguish one man from another. In prophets and their divinely chosen
successors they are found in fully developed form from the day they are created.
± According
to Najm 53:1
to 10 the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa
ala ali Muhammad), as the manifestation of the
universal beneficence, precedes and
surpasses all the messengers and prophets of ALLAH (SWT).
Ì Imam Jafar bin Muhammad as Sadiq said
that bayan is
the greatest name of ALLAH (SWT), through which everything is known. It
implies that man reflects whatever he receives from the divine source.
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(55:4) and has taught him articulate speech. *3
*3 One
meaning of the word bayan, as used in the original, is the
expressing of one'e own mind, i e. speaking and expressing one's thoughts and
intentions. Its other meaning is to make distinction between things, which here
signifies the distinction between good and evil, virtue and vice. According to
those two meanings this brief sentence completes the above reasoning. Speech is
the distinctive quality which distinguishes man from the animals and other
earthly creatures, It is not merely the power of speech, but there are working
behind. It the faculties of reasoning
and intellect, understanding and discernment, will and Judgement, and other
mental powers without which man's power of speech could not operate at all.
THEREFORE, speech is in fact an express symbol of man's being an intelligent
being who has been endowed with freedom and authority, and when AIIah has
blessed man with this distinctive quality, evidently the nature of instruction
for him also cannot be the same as would be suitable for the guidance of other
creatures. LIKEWISE, another distinctive quality of vital Importance in man is
that AIlah has placed in him moral sense by virtue of which he can naturally
distinguish between good and evil, truth and falsehood, Justice and injustice,
right and wrong, and this intuition and sense does not leave hlm even when he
degrades himself to the lowest state of error and ignorance. The Inevitable
demand of these two distinctive qualities is that the method of instruction for
man's conscious and voluntary life should be different from the innate, natural
mode of instruction under which the fish has been taught to swim, the bird to
fly, and the eye in the human body itself to wink and see, the ear to hear and
the stomach to digest, Man in this sphere of his life himself recognizes the
means like the teacher, the book, the school, the verbal and written
instruction and reasoning and discussion as the modes of instrutction, and does
not regard the innate knowledge and intelligence as enough. Why should It then
appear arrange that for fulfilling the responsibility that falls upon the
Creator of educating man, He has made the Messenger and the Book the means of
his education and instruction ? The mode of education has to suit the nature of
the creation, And very rationally so; The "Qur'an" alone cart be the
means of educating the creation that has been taught 'bayan"(speech) and
not my other means that might salt the creatures which have not been taught the
speech
الشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ بِحُسْبَانٍ {55:5}
[Q55:5] Ashshamsu walqamaru bihusbaan.
[Q55:5] The sun and the moon follow a reckoning.
[Q55:5] The sun and the moon follow a reckoning.
THE PRECISE LAWS, MADE BY ALLAH (SWT), GOVERNING THE UNIVERSE, bear
witness to allah (swt)'s wisdom and justice and also to his favours to his creatures.
Man relies upon the laws operating the universe AND, WITHOUT FEAR OF ANY ARBITRARY CHANGE, directs
his activities in the light of knowledge he has acquired about its working.
***ALTHOUGH ALLAH (SWT) HAS ABSOLUTE POWER OVER ALL
THINGS YET IT IS HIS JUSTICE, A CONSEQUENCE
OF HIS BENEFICENCE (RAHMANIYYAT)
THAT HE MAKES NO ARBITRARY CHANGES IN HIS LAWS, OTHERWISE THERE WOULD BE CHAOS AND DISORDER IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE.***
This
fact of order and harmony prevailing in the working of
universe was made known to man at a time when only conjectures and
superstitions prevailed. IT GAVE STIMULUS AND SENSE OF DIRECTION TO
MAN TO OBSERVE, CONTEMPLATE AND FIND OUT THE LAWS OPERATING THE CREATION.
Refer to the commentary of Jathiyah 45:3 to 11. Refer to Rad 13:2; Anbiya 21:33 and
Ya Sin 36:38.
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(55:5) The sun and the moon follow a reckoning, *4
*4 That
is, "It is a powerful law and unalterable system that binds the great
planets together. Man is able to calculate and measure time, days, dates, and
crops and seasons only because no change takes place in the rule that has been
laid down for the rising and setting of the sun and of its passing through
different stages. The innumerable creatures found on the earth are staying
alive only because the sun and the moon have been accurately and precisely
placed at particular distances from the earth and any increase or decrease in
this distance is made in the right measure, in a particular order; otherwise if
their distance from the earth increased or decreased haphazardly, no one, could
possibly survive here. Likewise, the perfect relationship and harmony that has
been established between the movements of the moon round the earth and the sun,
has made the moon a universal calendar, which announces the lunar date every
night to the whole world with perfect regularity.
وَالنَّجْمُ وَالشَّجَرُ يَسْجُدَانِ {55:6}
[Q55:6] Wannajmu washshajaru yasjudaan
[Q55:6] And the herbs and the trees do prostrate (to Him).
[Q55:6] And the herbs and the trees do prostrate (to Him).
[Q55:6] Dan tumbuh-tumbuhan yang melata serta pohon-pohon kayu-kayan,
masing-masing tunduk menurut peraturanNya.
Refer to Rad 13:15; Nahl
16:48, 49 and Hajj 22:18. ‘PROSTRATION’ HERE MEANS
PRECISE FUNCTIONING OF CREATION ACCORDING
TO THE LAWS MADE BY ALLAH (SWT).
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(55:6) and the stars *5 and
the trees all prostrate themselves, *6
*5 The
word used in the original is an-najm, the well-known meaning of which
is the star; BUT IN THE ARABIC LEXICON this word is also used for the plants
and creepers which do not have a stem, e.g. vegetable, melons, water melons,
etc. The commentators have disputed the sense in which this word has been used
here. Ibn 'Abbas, Sa'id bin Jubair, Suddi, and Sufyan Thauri have taken it in
the meaning of stemless vegetation, for just after it the word ash-shajar (the
tree) has been used and this meaning is more relevant to it. On the contrary,
Mujahid, Qatadah and Hasan Basri have expressed the opinion that an-najm here
does not imply the plants of the earth, but the stars of the sky, for this is
its well-known meaning. On hearing this word, the mind first turns to this very
meaning, and the mention of the sun and the moon has been followed by the stars
very naturally and relevantly. Though the majority of the commentators and
translators have preferred the first meaning, and it cannot be held wrong
either, we hold Hafiz Ibn Kathir's this opinion as sound that in view of both
the language and the subject-matter the second meaning seems to be preferable.
At another place in the Qur'an (AI-Hajj: 18) also mention has been made of the
stars and the trees prostrating themselves, and there the word nujum (pl. of
najm) cannot be taken in any other meaning than of the stars. The words of the verse
are: Alam fara
annallaha yasjudu lahu man fis sma wat-i wa man fil ardi wash-shamsu wal-qamaru
walnujumu wal jibalu wash-shajaru wad-da wabbu wa kathir-um-min-annasi. . . .
(AI-Hajj: 18). In this verse nujum
(stars) have been mentioned along with shams
(sun) and qamar
(moon), and shajar
(trees) along with mountains and animals and it has been said that they all bow
down to AIIah.
*6 That is, "The stars of the heavens and the trees of the earth, alI are subject to Allah's Command and obedient to His Law. They cannot exceed the rule that has been set for them." What is meant to be impressed in these two verses is that the whole system of the Universe has been created by Allah and is fimctioning in His obedience. Nothing front the earth to the heavens is independent, nor functioning under another's godhead, nor has anyone any share in God's Kingdom, nor has anyone the position that it should be made a deity. AII are servants and slaves: the Master is One Almighty Lord alone. Hence, Tauhid alone is the Truth which is being taught by this Qur'an. Apart from this, any one who is involved in polytheism and denial of God is, in fact, at war with the whole system of the Universe.
*6 That is, "The stars of the heavens and the trees of the earth, alI are subject to Allah's Command and obedient to His Law. They cannot exceed the rule that has been set for them." What is meant to be impressed in these two verses is that the whole system of the Universe has been created by Allah and is fimctioning in His obedience. Nothing front the earth to the heavens is independent, nor functioning under another's godhead, nor has anyone any share in God's Kingdom, nor has anyone the position that it should be made a deity. AII are servants and slaves: the Master is One Almighty Lord alone. Hence, Tauhid alone is the Truth which is being taught by this Qur'an. Apart from this, any one who is involved in polytheism and denial of God is, in fact, at war with the whole system of the Universe.
وَالسَّمَاءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ {55:7}
[Q55:7] Wassamaaa-‘a rafa‘ahaa wa wada‘al
meezaan.
[Q55:7] And the heaven, He raised it high, and He made the balance
[Q55:7] And the heaven, He raised it high, and He made the balance
[Q55:7] Dan langit dijadikannya (bumbung) tinggi, serta Dia mengadakan undang-undang
dan peraturan neraca keadilan,
‘BALANCE’ REFERS TO JUSTICE mentioned in verse 5 of this Surah. JUSTICE IS A DIVINE ATTRIBUTE. Men
must act justly to each other and observe
balance in all their actions, not transgressing
due bounds in anything.
THE PERFECT MAN, AS A
MODEL OR EPITOME OF THE UNIVERSAL BALANCE OR SCALE, is the infallible measure by which right
and wrong in human conduct is evaluated.
Ü Abu Talib said:
"Muhammad is the
scale of truth which measures accurately to the minutest possible practice of
quantity and quality."
Refer to the commentary
of Shura
26:17.
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(55:7) and He has raised up the heaven and has set a
balance *7
*7 Almost
aII the commentators have interpreted mizan (balance) to mean justice, and
'...set the balance" to imply that AIIah has established the entire system
of the Universe on justice. Had there been no harmony and balance and justice
established among the countless stars and planets moving in space, and the
mighty forces working in this Universe, and the innumerable creatures and
things found here, this life on earth would not have functioned even for a
moment. Look at the creatures existing in the air and water and on land for
millions and millions of years on this earth. They continue to exist only
because full justice and balance has been established in the means and factors
conducive to life; in case there occurs a slight imbalance of any kind, every
tract of lift would become extinct.
أَلَّا تَطْغَوْا فِي الْمِيزَانِ {55:8}
[Q55:8] Allaa tatghaw fil meezaan
[Q55:8] That you may not be inordinate in respect of the measure.
[Q55:8] That you may not be inordinate in respect of the measure.
(see commentary for verse 7)
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(55:8) that you may not transgress in the balance,
وَأَقِيمُوا الْوَزْنَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا تُخْسِرُوا
الْمِيزَانَ {55:9}
[Q55:9] Wa
aqeemul wazna bilqisti wa laa tukhsirul meezaan
[Q55:9] And keep up the balance with equity and do not make the measure deficient.
[Q55:9] And keep up the balance with equity and do not make the measure deficient.
[Q55:9] Dan betulkanlah cara menimbang itu dengan adil, serta janganlah kamu
mengurangi barang yang ditimbang.
(see commentary for verse 7)
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(55:9) but weigh things equitably and skimp not in the
balance. *8
*8 That
is, "As you are living in a balanced Universe, whose entire system has
been established on justice, you also should adhere to justice. For if you act
unjustly within the sphere in which you have been given authority, and fail to
render the rights of others, you would indeed be rebelling against the nature
of the Universe; for the nature of this Universe does not admit of injustice
and perversion and violation of the rights. Not to speak of a major injustice,
even if a person fraudulently deprives another of an ounce of something, by
giving him short measure, he disturbs the balance of the entire Universe.-This
is the second important part of the Qur'anic teaching that has been presented
in these three verses. The first teaching is Tauhid and the second is justice.
Thus, in a few brief sentences the people have been told what teaching has been
brought by the Qur'an which the Merciful God has sent for the guidance of
man."
وَالْأَرْضَ وَضَعَهَا لِلْأَنَامِ {55:10}
[Q55:10] Wal arda wada‘ahaa lilanaame
[Q55:10] And the earth, He has set it for living creatures;
[Q55:10] And the earth, He has set it for living creatures;
The right
to avail of the benefits and advantages emanating from the earth is given to
every man by the beneficent (rahman)
Lord. NO ONE IS DEPRIVED OF THE RIGHT.
See commentary of "rahman" in al Fatihah 1:1.
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(55:10) And He *9 has set up the earth for all
beings. *10
*9 Now
from here to verse 20, mention is being made of the blessing and bounties of
God and of those manifestations of His might by which both man and jinn are
benefiting, and whose natural and moral demand is that although they have the
option to believe or not to believe, they should adopt the way of their Lord's
service and obedience willingly by their own free choice.
*10 The word wade ` in the original means to compost, make, prepare, keep and inscribe, and anam the creatures, which includes man and all other living things. According to Ibn 'Abbas, anam includes every thing which has a soul. Mujahid takes it in the meaning of the living creatures. Qatadah, Ibn Zaid and Sha'bi say that all living things are anam. Hasan Basri says that both the men and the jinn are included in its meaning. The same meanings have been~given by the lexicographers. This shows that the people who deduce from this verse the command of making land the state property, are in error. This is an ugly attempt to introduce alien theories forcibly into the Qur'an which arc neither supported by the words of the verse nor by the context. Anam is not used only for human society but it includes aII other creatures of the earth as well, and setting of the earth for anam dces not mean that it should be the common property of aII. Besides, the context here also dces not indicate that the object of the verse is to state some economic principle. This, in fact, is meant to impress the truth that AIIah made and prepared this earth in such a way that it became a fit abode for every kind of living being. It has not become so by itself, but by the will and power of the Creator. He in His wisdom placed it at a suitable distance and created such conditions on it which made it possible for the different species to exist and stay alive on it. (For explanation, see E.N.'s 73, 74 of An-Naml, E.N.'s 29, 32 of Ya Sin, E.N.'s 90, 91 of Al-Mu'min, E.N.'s 11 to 13 of Ha Mim As-Sajdah, E.N.'s 7 to 10 of Az.Zukhruf, E.N. 7 of AI-Jathiyah).
*10 The word wade ` in the original means to compost, make, prepare, keep and inscribe, and anam the creatures, which includes man and all other living things. According to Ibn 'Abbas, anam includes every thing which has a soul. Mujahid takes it in the meaning of the living creatures. Qatadah, Ibn Zaid and Sha'bi say that all living things are anam. Hasan Basri says that both the men and the jinn are included in its meaning. The same meanings have been~given by the lexicographers. This shows that the people who deduce from this verse the command of making land the state property, are in error. This is an ugly attempt to introduce alien theories forcibly into the Qur'an which arc neither supported by the words of the verse nor by the context. Anam is not used only for human society but it includes aII other creatures of the earth as well, and setting of the earth for anam dces not mean that it should be the common property of aII. Besides, the context here also dces not indicate that the object of the verse is to state some economic principle. This, in fact, is meant to impress the truth that AIIah made and prepared this earth in such a way that it became a fit abode for every kind of living being. It has not become so by itself, but by the will and power of the Creator. He in His wisdom placed it at a suitable distance and created such conditions on it which made it possible for the different species to exist and stay alive on it. (For explanation, see E.N.'s 73, 74 of An-Naml, E.N.'s 29, 32 of Ya Sin, E.N.'s 90, 91 of Al-Mu'min, E.N.'s 11 to 13 of Ha Mim As-Sajdah, E.N.'s 7 to 10 of Az.Zukhruf, E.N. 7 of AI-Jathiyah).
فِيهَا فَاكِهَةٌ وَالنَّخْلُ ذَاتُ
الْأَكْمَامِ {55:11}
[Q55:11] Feehaa
faakihatunw wan nakhlu zaatul akmaam.
[Q55:11] Therein is fruit and palms having sheathed clusters,
[Q55:11] Therein is fruit and palms having sheathed clusters,
[Q55:11] Terdapat padanya berbagai jenis buah-buahan dan pohon-pohon kurma yang
ada kelopak-kelopak mayang;
(see
commentary for verse 10)
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(55:11) Therein are fruit and palm-trees
with their dates in sheaths,
وَالْحَبُّ ذُو الْعَصْفِ وَالرَّيْحَانُ {55:12}
[Q55:12] Walhabbu zul ‘asfi war raihaanu.
[Q55:12] And the grain with (its) husk and fragrance.
[Q55:12] And the grain with (its) husk and fragrance.
[Q55:12] Demikian juga terdapat biji-bijian yang ada jerami serta daun dan
terdapat lagi bunga-bungaan yang harum;
(see commentary for verse 10)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:12) and a variety of corn with both husk and
grain. *11
*11 That is,
grain for men and husk for the animals.
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ {55:13}
[Q55:13] Fabi ayyi aalaaa‘i Rabbikumaa
tukazzibaan.
[Q55:13] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
[Q55:13] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
[Q55:13] Maka yang mana satu di antara nikmat-nikmat Tuhan kamu, yang kamu
hendak dustakan (wahai umat manusia dan jin)?
THE QUESTION IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE TWO SPECIES OF RATIONAL CREATURES (HUMAN BEINGS and JINN MANKIND)
ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTS. Refer to the commentary of Baqarah 2:30 to
38.
Whenever the reciter reads this verse in this surah he or she must say: "Nothing of any bounty from You, O Lord, I
belie." La
bi-shai’in min ni’maatika Rabbana nukadhdhib
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:13) Which of the bounties of your Lord *12 will
you twain – you men and jinn – then deny? *13
*12 The word alaa' in
the refrain as repeated over and over again in the subsequent verses has been
translated differently at different places. THEREFORE, it would be useful to
understand at the outset how vast this word is in meaning and what different
shades of meaning it contains. The lexicographers and commentators generally
have explained alaa'
to mean "blessings"
and "bounties".
The translators also have given this same meaning of this word, and the same
has been reported from Ibn 'Abbas, Qatadah and Hasan Basri. The major argument
that supports this meaning is the Holy Prophet's own statement that the jinn on
hearing this verse being recited would respond to it, saying La bi-shai in-min-ni maatika Rabba-na nukadhdhib:
"O
our Lord, we do not deny any of Your blessings."
Therefore, we do not subscribe to the view of some present-day scholars, who
say that alaa'
is never used in the meaning of the blessing. Another meaning of this word IS POWER AND WONDERS OF POWER, OR
EXCELLENT MANIFESTATIONS OF POWER. **Ibn Jarir Tabari has reported
that Ibn Zaid took the words fa-bi-ayyi alaa i Rabbi kuma in
the meaning of fa
bi-ayyi qudrat-Allah.
Ibn Jarir himself has taken alaa' in the meaning of power and
might in his commentary of vv. 37-38. **Imam Razi also has made this
observation in his commentary of vv.14-16: "These
verses do not describe the blessings but the powers of AIIah, and in the
commentary of vv. 22-23, this; "These describe the wonders of power and
not the blessings." Its third
meaning IS VIRTUE, PRAISEWORTHY QUALITIES, AND PREFECTIONS. Though this
meaning has not been mentioned by the lexicographers and commentators, this
word has often been used in this meaning in Arabic poetry. (Examples omitted).
Thus, we have taken this word in its vastest meaning and translated it suitably
keeping in view the context in which it occurs. However, at some places the word alaa ' may have several senses in one
and the same place, but due to limitations of translation we have had to adopt
only one meaning. For example, in this
verse after making mention of the creation of the earth and of making the best
arrangements for the supply of provisions to the creatures, it has been said: 'Which
of the alaa' of your Lord will you deny?" HERE, alaa' has not
been used in the meaning of the
blessings only but also in the meaning of the manifestations of AIIah
Almighty's power and His praiseworthy attributes. [1] It
is a wonder of His might that He fashioned this earth in such a marvellous
manner that countless species of creatures live here and an endless variety of
fruits and grain are grown on it. [2] And it is
due to His praiseworthy qualities that He not only created these creatures but also made arrangements for their
sustenance and the supply of provisions for them; and the arrangements also so perfect that their food is not only
nutritious but also pleasing to the taste and sight. In this connection,
reference has been made to only one excellence of AIlah Almighty's workmanship
for the sake of example, viz., the
creation of the date-palm fruit in sheaths. Keeping this one example in view
one may consider what excellences of art have been devised and shown in the
packing of banana, pomegranates, orange, coconut and other fruits, and how each
of the different sorts of the grains and pulses which we so thoughtlessly cook
and eat, are produced hotly packed and covered in ears and pods and clusters.
*13 "Denying" implies the several attitudes that the people adopt in respect of AIlah Almighty's blessings and manifestations of His might and His praiseworthy attributes. For example, some people do not at all admit that the Creator of aII things is Allah Almighty. They think that aII this is a mere by-product of the matter, or an accidental happening, which is un-related with any wisdom and skill and workmanship. THIS IS OPEN DENIAL. Some other people do admit that the Creator of these things is Allah, but regard others beside Him also as associates in Godhead: they render thanks to others for His blessings: they adore others although they eat His provisions. This is another form of denial. OBVIOUSLY, it would be the height of ingratitude if a person while admitting that a certain person had done him a favour rendered thanks to another, who had not in fact dent him that favour, for this act of his would be an express proof that he regarded the other person as his benefactor whom he was rendering the thanks. There are still others who acknowledge Allah alone as the Creator of all things and the Bestower of all blessings, but do not admit that they should obey the Commands of their Creator and Sustainer and follow His injunctions. This is another form of ingratitude and denial of the blessings, for the person who behaves so denies the right of the Bestower of the blessing although he acknowledges the blessing itself. Some other people neither disavow the blessing nor deny the right of the Bestower of the blessing, but in practice there is no appreciable difference between their conduct and the conduct of a denier. This is not verbal denial but denial in practice.
*13 "Denying" implies the several attitudes that the people adopt in respect of AIlah Almighty's blessings and manifestations of His might and His praiseworthy attributes. For example, some people do not at all admit that the Creator of aII things is Allah Almighty. They think that aII this is a mere by-product of the matter, or an accidental happening, which is un-related with any wisdom and skill and workmanship. THIS IS OPEN DENIAL. Some other people do admit that the Creator of these things is Allah, but regard others beside Him also as associates in Godhead: they render thanks to others for His blessings: they adore others although they eat His provisions. This is another form of denial. OBVIOUSLY, it would be the height of ingratitude if a person while admitting that a certain person had done him a favour rendered thanks to another, who had not in fact dent him that favour, for this act of his would be an express proof that he regarded the other person as his benefactor whom he was rendering the thanks. There are still others who acknowledge Allah alone as the Creator of all things and the Bestower of all blessings, but do not admit that they should obey the Commands of their Creator and Sustainer and follow His injunctions. This is another form of ingratitude and denial of the blessings, for the person who behaves so denies the right of the Bestower of the blessing although he acknowledges the blessing itself. Some other people neither disavow the blessing nor deny the right of the Bestower of the blessing, but in practice there is no appreciable difference between their conduct and the conduct of a denier. This is not verbal denial but denial in practice.
خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ
كَالْفَخَّارِ {55:14}
[Q55:14] Khalaqal
insaana min salsaalin kalfakhkhaar,
[Q55:14] He created man from dry clay like earthen vessels,
[Q55:14] He created man from dry clay like earthen vessels,
Refer to Araf 7:12 and
Hijr 15:27.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:14) He has created man from dry, rotten clay like
the potter’s, *14
*14 The order of
the initial stages of the creation of man, as given at different places in the
Qur'an seems to be as follows: (1) Turab, i.e. earth or dust; (2) Tin, i.e. clay made by mixing water
with earth; (3) tin-i-lazib: sticky clay, i.e. a clay which
becomes sticky when left alone for a long time; (4) hama
in musnun, i.e.
clay with a stink in it; (5) salsal-im-min
hems in masnun kalfakhkhar. i.e.
the rotten clay which when dried becomes like baked pottery; (6) bashar, i.e.. the one who was made from
this last form of the earth, in whom Allah breathed of His Spirit, to whom the
angels were commanded to bow down, and from whose species his mate was created; (7) thumma
ja ala nasla-hu min sulala-tin-min-ma 'in mahin: 'then spread his progeny by means
of an extract of the nature of a despicable water', for which the word nutfah has been
used at other places. For these stages one may look up the following verses of
the Qur'an in sequence: ka-melba/-i Adalla khalaqa-hu min turab (AI-'Imran
: 59); bed's
khalqal-insan-i min tin (As Sajdah: 7); Inna khalaq-na hum min tin-il-/azib (As-Saaffat:
11): the fourth and fifth stages have been described in the verse being
explained, and the later stages in the following verses : Inni khaliq-un bashar an-nun tin. Faidha
sa wwaitu-hu wa nafakhtu-fi -hi min-ruhi fa-qa ,u-lahu sajidin.
(Suad: 71-72); khalaqa-kum
min-nafs in wahidatin wa khalaqa nun-ha zauja-ha wa baththa minhuma rijal-an
kathir-an wa nisa-an. (An -Nisa': 1) ; thumma Ja ala nasla-hu min sulata-tin-min
mmaa'-in -mahin. (As-Sajdah: 8); fa-inna khalaq-na-kum min turabin thumma
min nutfs-tin. (AI-Hajj: 5).
وَخَلَقَ الْجَانَّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ {55:15}
[Q55:15] Wa
khalaqal jaaan mim maarijim min naar.
[Q55:15] And He created the jinn of a flame of fire.
[Q55:15] And He created the jinn of a flame of fire.
(see
commentary for verse 14)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:15) and has created the jinn from the flame of
fire. *15
*15 The words in
the original are: mim-marij-im-min-nar.
‘Nar’ signifies
fire of a special nature and not the fire which is produced by burning wood or
coal, and marij
means a pure, smokeless flame. The verse
means that just as the first man was created out of earth, then passing
through various stages of creation, the clay model adopted the shape of a
living man of flesh and blood, and then his progeny spread by means of the
sperm-drop, so was the first jinn created from a pure flame of fire, or a fire
free of smoke, and then the species of jinn spread from his progeny. The
position of the first jinn among the jinn is the same as of Adam (peace be upon
him) among human beings. After taking the shape of a living man, the body of
Adam and the human beings born of his progeny retained no relationship with the
dust from which they were originally created. Though even now our body is
entirely a compound of the earthly substances, these substances have taken the
from of flesh and blood and after being made a living body it has become quite
a different thing from a mere lump of clay. The same also is true of the jinn. Their being also is essentially
fiery. But just as we are not a mere lump of earth, so also they are not a mere
flame of fire. This verse proves two things. First,
that the jinn are not simply spirit, but are material beings of a special
nature, but since they have been composed of pure fiery substances, they remain
invisible to human beings who have bean created of earthly substances. The same
has been referred to in this verse: "Satan
and his party see you from where you cannot see them." (AI-A`raf: 27)
Likewise, the jinn's being fast-moving, their adopting different shapes and
forms easily and their penetrating into different places imperceptibly where
things made of earthly substances cannot penetrate, or if they do,
their.penetration becomes perceptible, all these things are possible and
understandable only because they are essentially a fiery creation. The other thing that we come
to know from this verse is that the jinn are not only a creation of a wholly
different nature from human beings, but the substance of their creation also is
absolutely different from that of man, animal, vegetable and solid matter. This
verse explicitly points out the error of the viewpoint of those people who
regard the jinn as a kind of haman beings. According to their interpretation,
the meaning of CREATING MAN OF THE DUST AND THE JINN OF THE FIRE IS TO DESCRIBE
THE DIFFERENCE OF THE TEMPERAMENTAL NATURE OF THE TWO KINDS OF THE PEOPLE; one kind
of them are humble by nature, and they are men in the true sense, and the other kind of the
people are wicked by nature and fiery in temper, who may better be called
devils. This is, however, no commentary of the Qur'an but its distortion. In
E.N. 14 above we have shown in detail how the Qur'an itself has fully described
the meaning of creating man from the earth. After reading aII these details,
can a reasonable person understand that the object of aII this is only to
define the humility of the good men? Moreover, how can a sound-minded person
understand that the meaning of creating man of rotten, dry clay and the jinn of
the flame of pure fire is the difference of the separate moral characteristics
of the two individuals or groups with different temperaments belonging to the
same human species? (For further explanation, see E.N. 53 of Surah
Adh-Dhariyat).
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ {55:16}
[Q55:16] Fabi ayyi aalaaa‘i Rabbikumaa
tukazzibaan.
[Q55:16] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
[Q55:16] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:16) Which
of the wonders of your Lord’s power *16 will you twain – you men and jinn
– then deny?
*16 Here,
in view of the context, It is more appropriate to
translate alaa'
as 'wonders of power",
but in this the aspect of the blessing is also present. Just as it is a
wonderful manifestation of Allah's power to have brought into existence
marvellous creatures like man from the dust and the jinn from the flame of
fire, so for both these creatures this is a great blessing also that Allah not
only granted them a body but gave each such a structure and endowed each with
such powers and capabilities that they became able to perform unique works in
the world. Though we do not know much about the jinn, man is present before us.
Had he been given the body of a fish or a bird or a monkey along with the human
brain, he could not have with that body used the mental powers to any
advantage. Then, is it not a supreme blessing of AIIah that He blessed man with
the most suitable body also, so that he may exploit the mental powers granted
to him efficiently? Consider the hands, the feet, the eyes, the ears, the
tongue and the erect stature as againts the intellect and reason, and the
capabilities of workmanship and artistic skill, and one will feel that the
Creator has provided a deep relationship and harmony between them without which
the human body would have remained useless. Then, the same thing points out
Allah's praiseworthy qualities too. How could the men and jinn of such quality
and rank be brought into existence without knowledge, wisdom, mercy and a
profound creative power? For such miracles of creation cannot be performed by
accidents and automatic blind and deaf laws of nature.
رَبُّ الْمَشْرِقَيْنِ وَرَبُّ الْمَغْرِبَيْنِ {55:17}
[Q55:17] Rabbul mashriqayni wa Rabbul maghribayni.
[Q55:17] Lord of the East and Lord of the West.
[Q55:17] Lord of the East and Lord of the West.
Refer to Araf 7:137 and
Saffat 37:5.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:17) Lord of the two easts and of the two wests is
He. *17
*17 'Both the Easts and both the Wests"
may
mean THE TWO POINTS OF SUNRISE AND THE TWO POINTS OF SUNSET ON THE SHORTEST DAY
OF WINTER AND THE LONGEST DAY OF SUMMER AS WELL AS THE EASTS AND THE WESTS OF
THE TWO HEMISPHERES OF THE EARTH. On the shortest day of winter the sun rises
and sets making a small acute angle: on the contrary, on the longest day of
summer-it rises and sets making a wide obtuse angle. Between them its points of
rising and setting go on shifting every day, for which at another place in the
Qur'an (AI-Ma'arij: 40) the words Rabbul-mashariq wal-magharib have
been used. Likewise, at the time the sun rises in one hemisphere of the earth,
it sets in the other hemisphere, thus producing two easts and two wests of the
earth. There are several meanings of calling AIIah Lord of both the Easts and
both the Wests. Firstly,
that it is by His Command that the system of the rising and setting of the sun
and their changing pattern during the year is fimctioning. Second,
that AIIah alone is the Master and Ruler of the earth and the sun; had they
their own separate lords, this regular system of the rising and setting of the
sun on the earth could not have functioned and continued to function
permanently. Third,
that the Master and Sustainer of both the Easts and both the Wests is One Allah
alone; to Him belong the creations living between them. He alone is nourishing
them, and it is for their sustenance that He has established this wise system
of the rising and setting of the sun on the earth.
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ {55:18}
[Q55:18] Fabi ayyi aalaaa‘i Rabbikumaa
tukazzibaan.
[Q55:18] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
[Q55:18] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
[Q55:18] Maka yang mana satu di antara nikmat-nikmat Tuhan kamu, yang kamu
hendak dustakan?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:18) Which
of the powers of your Lord *18 will you twain – you men and jinn
– then deny?
*18 Here also, although in view of the context, "power"
seems to be a more conspicuous meaning of alaa', yet, besides, the aspect of "blessing"
and 'praiseworthy qualities" also is present in it. It is a great
blessing that Allah Almighty has prescribed the rule of the rising and setting
of the sun, for by means of it the changes of the crops and seasons arc
regulated with which countless interests of the men and animals and vegetables
are attached. LIKEWISE, it is Allahs mercy and providence and wisdom that He
has made these arrangements by His power to meet the respective needs and
requirements of the creatures He has created on the earth.
مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ {55:19}
[Q55:19] Marajal bahrayni yalta qiyaani.
[Q55:19] He has made the two seas to flow freely (so that) they meet together:
[Q55:19] He has made the two seas to flow freely (so that) they meet together:
[Q55:19] Dia biarkan air dua laut (yang masin dan yang tawar) mengalir, sedang
keduanya pula bertemu;
Refer to Furqan 25:53
and Fatir 35:12.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:19) He unleashed the two seas so that
they merge together,
بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَا يَبْغِيَانِ {55:20}
[Q55:20] Bainahumaa barzakhul laa yabghiyaan
[Q55:20] Between them is a barrier which they cannot pass.
[Q55:20] Between them is a barrier which they cannot pass.
[Q55:20] Di antara keduanya ada penyekat yang memisahkannya, masing-masing tidak
melampaui sempadannya;
ACCORDING TO THE AHLUL BAYT THE TWO STREAMS REFER TO NABUWWAH
(PROPHETHOOD) AND IMAMAH (DIVINELY
COMMISSIONED GUIDES) WHICH FLOW
TOGETHER AND YET WITH A DISTINGUISHING LINE BETWEEN THEM, ASSIGNING
SEPARATE FUNCTIONS TO EACH OF THEM, SO AS NOT TO CREATE CONFUSION.
Ü The HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali
Muhammad) is the most perfect manifestation of nabuwwah
AND
Ü Ali
is the most perfect manifestation of wilayah or imamah, AND
Ü Fatimah
is the distinguishing
line between them which connects both
of them.
According to a tradition
related by Salman
Farsi, Ibn Jubayr and Sufyan Sawri recorded by Ibn Marduwayh and Jalal al Din al Suyuti [*] the two oceans are Ali and Fatimah and [*] the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa
ala ali Muhammad) is
the link between them, [*] Hasan and
Husayn are the pearls.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:20) and yet there is a barrier between them which
they may not overstep. *19
*19 For
explanation, see E. N. 68 of Surah AI-Furqan.
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ {55:21}
[Q55:21] Fabi ayyi aalaaa‘i Rabbikumaa
tukazzibaan.
[Q55:21] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
[Q55:21] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
(see
commentary for verse 20)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:21) Which of the wonders of your Lord
will you twain – you men and jinn – then deny?
يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَالْمَرْجَانُ {55:22}
[Q55:22] Yakhruju
minhumal lu'lu u wal marjaaan.
[Q55:22] There come forth from them pearls, both large and small.
[Q55:22] There come forth from them pearls, both large and small.
(see
commentary for verse 20)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:22) From these seas come forth pearls *20 and
coral. *21
*20 According to
Ibn 'Abbas, Qatadah, Ibn Zaid and Dahhak (may AIIah bless them), marjan implies small pearls, but
according to Hadrat 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud, this word is used for corals in
Arabia.
*21 Literally: "From both these seas come out..." The objectors say that pearls and corals come out only from salt waters. How is it then that they are stated to come out from both the sweet and salt waters? The answer is that the seas contain both the sweet and the salt waters; therefore, whether it is said that these things come out from the combination of both, or from both kinds of waters, it would be one and the same thing. And it may well be that further investigations might reveal that both these things originate in the sea at the place where springs of sweet water gush outs from the sea bed; and in their birth and development combination of both kinds of the water plays its part. Near Bahrain which has been famous for its pearl-fisheries for centuries, there exist springs of sweet water at the bottom of the Gulf.
*21 Literally: "From both these seas come out..." The objectors say that pearls and corals come out only from salt waters. How is it then that they are stated to come out from both the sweet and salt waters? The answer is that the seas contain both the sweet and the salt waters; therefore, whether it is said that these things come out from the combination of both, or from both kinds of waters, it would be one and the same thing. And it may well be that further investigations might reveal that both these things originate in the sea at the place where springs of sweet water gush outs from the sea bed; and in their birth and development combination of both kinds of the water plays its part. Near Bahrain which has been famous for its pearl-fisheries for centuries, there exist springs of sweet water at the bottom of the Gulf.
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ {55:23}
[Q55:23] Fabi ayyi aalaaa‘i Rabbikumaa
tukazzibaan.
[Q55:23] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
[Q55:23] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:23) Which
of the wonders of your Lord’s power will you twain – you men and jinn – then
deny? *22
*22 Here
also though the aspect of power in alaa' is conspicuous, the aspect of
the blessing and praiseworthy qualities also is not hidden. It is a blessings
of God that these valuable things come out from the sea, and it is His
Providence that for the satisfaction of the aesthetic taste of the creatures
whom He had blessed with the taste for beauty and the lout and longing for
adornment, He created ali sorts of these beautiful things in His world.
وَلَهُ الْجَوَارِ الْمُنْشَآتُ فِي الْبَحْرِ
كَالْأَعْلَامِ {55:24}
[Q55:24] Wa
lahul jawaaril mun sha'aatu fil bahri kal a'laam
[Q55:24] And His are the ships reared aloft in the sea like mountains.
[Q55:24] And His are the ships reared aloft in the sea like mountains.
[Q55:24] Dan Dialah yang menguasai kapal-kapal yang belayar di laut, yang
kembang tinggi layarnya seperti gunung-ganang;
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:24) His
are the ships, *23 towering
on the sea like mountains.
*23 "His are the ships...": Ships became
possible only by His power. It is He Who blessed man with the capability and
skill that he may build ships for crossing the oceans; it is He Who created on
the earth the material from which ships could be built; and it is He Who
subjected water to the laws by which it became possible for the mountain-like
ships to sail on the surface of the surging oceans.
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ {55:25}
[Q55:25] Fabi ayyi
aalaaa‘i Rabbikumaa tukazzibaan.
[Q55:25] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
[Q55:25] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
[Q55:25] Maka yang mana satu di antara nikmat-nikmat Tuhan kamu, yang kamu
hendak dustakan?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:25) Which
of the favours of your Lord will you twain – you men and jinn – then deny? *24
*24 Here,
the aspect of the blessing; and bounty is conspicuous in alaa', but the
explanation given above shows that the aspect of power and good qualities also
is present in it.
SECTION 2
Everything shall perish
Everything in the universe shall perish except the Everliving ALLAH
(SWT)---Everyone depends upon ALLAH (SWT)’s will---The guilty shall be punish.
كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ {55:26}
[Q55:26] Kullu man ‘alaihaa faan.
[Q55:26] Everyone on it must pass away.
[Q55:26] Everyone on it must pass away.
[Q55:26] Segala yang ada di muka bumi itu akan binasa.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:26) All *25 that
is on earth will perish,
*25 From hero to vane 30, the jinn and the men have been
informed of two realities; First, 'Neither you are immortal nor the provisions that you are enjoying in
this world everlasting. Immortal and Everlasting is the Being of the High and
Supreme God alone Whose greatness this Universe testifies, and by Whose grace
and kindness you have been favoured with these bounties. NOW, if some one
among you behaves arrogantly, it would be due to his own meanness. If a foolish
person assumes haughtiness in his tiny sphere of authority, or becomes god of a
few helpless men who fall into his hand, this farce would not last long. A
godhead that lag: for a mere score or two score years in a corner of the earth
whose size in this limitless Universe is not even equal to a pea seed, and then
becomes a legend of the past, is not something of which one may feel proud and
arrogant. " The other important truth of which both these creations have been warned
is: 'None of those whom you have set up as deities and removers of hardships
and fulfiller: of needs, apart from AIlah, whether they are angels or prophets
or the moon and the sun, or some other creation, can fulfil any of your needs.
These helpless creatures and things themselves stand in need of Allah's help
for their needs and requirements. They themselves pray to Him for help; when
they are not nble to remove their own hardships how wIll they remove your
hardships? Whatever Is happening In this limitless Universe, from the earth to
the heavens, Is happening under rite Command of One God alone, No one else has
any sham In His Godhead; no one therefore can lunfluence anyone else's destiny
In any way
وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ
وَالْإِكْرَامِ {55:27}
[Q55:27] Wa
yabqaa wajhu rabbika zul jalaali wal ikraam.
[Q55:27] And there will endure for ever the person of your Lord, the Lord of glory and honor.
[Q55:27] And there will endure for ever the person of your Lord, the Lord of glory and honor.
ALL THINGS IN
NATURE WILL PASS AWAY AT THEIR APPOINTED TIME, BUT the only one
that will endure for ever is the "face"
of ALLAH (SWT). Refer to Qasas 28:88.
‘FACE’
EXPRESSES GLORY, POWER, MAJESTY, ESSENCE AND ALL THE NOBLE ATTRIBUTES WHICH WE ASSOCIATE WITH
THE BEAUTIFUL NAMES OF ALLAH (SWT). Refer to Baqarah 2:122; Araf 7:180 and Bani Israil 17:110.
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(55:27) only the Person of your Lord,
full of majesty and splendour, will endure.
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ {55:28}
[Q55:28] Fabi ayyi aalaaa‘i Rabbikumaa
tukazzibaan.
[Q55:28] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
[Q55:28] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:28) So
which of the wonders of your Lord will you twain – you men and jinn – then
deny? *26
*26 Here,
as the context itself shows, the word alaa'
has been used in the sense of excellences and perfections. Whoever of
the mortal creatures is involved in vanity and self-arrogance and struts about
thinking that his false godhead is everlasting, disavows Lord of the world's
glory and majesty by his conduct, if not by his tongue. His pride and arrogance
by itself is a denial of AIlah Almighty's greatness and glory. Whatever claim he may make to an excellence
by his tongue, or arrogate to himself such an excellence, it is indeed a
disavowal of the rank and station of the real Possessor of excellences and
perfections.
يَسْأَلُهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ
كُلَّ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِي شَأْنٍ {55:29}
[Q55:29] Yas'aluhoo
man fissamaawaati wal ard; kulla ywmin huwa fee shaan.
[Q55:29] All those who are in the heavens and the earth ask of Him; every moment He is in a state (of glory).
[Q55:29] All those who are in the heavens and the earth ask of Him; every moment He is in a state (of glory).
[Q55:29] Sekalian makhluk yang ada di langit dan di bumi sentiasa berhajat dan
memohon kepadaNya. Tiap-tiap masa Dia di dalam urusan (mencipta dan
mentadbirkan makhluk-makhlukNya)!
In addition to the day of 24 hours of the earth, ‘yawm’
includes all the divine days and periods mentioned in Ibrahim 14:5, in which any development takes places which
points to the evolutionary process working in the universe.
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(55:29) All in the heavens and the earth entreat Him
for their needs; a new, mighty task engages Him each day. *27
*27 That is,
"He is continuously and endlessly functioning in this Universe and
creating countless new things with new and yet new forms and designs and
qualities, He is giving death to one and life to another, exalting one and
debasing another, causing one to recover and another to remain ill, rescuing a
drowning one and drowning a floating one. He is providing sustenance to
countless creatures in a variety of ways, His world never stays In the same
state: it is changing every moment and its Creator arranges it in a new state
and fashion every time, which is different from every previous form and fashion
and state,"
فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ {55:30}
[Q55:30] Fabi ayyi aalaaa‘i Rabbikumaa
tukazzibaan.
[Q55:30] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
[Q55:30] Which then of the bounties of your Lord will you deny?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(55:30) Which
of your Lord’s laudable attributes will you twain – you men and jinn – then
deny? *28
*28 Here,
alaa seems to have been treed in the
sense of qualities and glories Every person who commits polytheism of any
kind, in fact, disavows one or the other of Allah's attributes, A person's
saying that such and such a saint has removed his disease, in fact, amounts to
saying that Allah is not the Remover of disease and Restorer of health but the
saint, Another one's saying that such and such a holy one has got him a job, in
fact, amounts to saying that AIIah is not the Sustainer and Lord but the
particular holy person. Still another one's saying that his prayer has been
answered at a particular shrine, in fact, amounts to saying that the command
governing the world is not Allah's but the shrine's, In short, every
polytheistic belief and utterance, in the final analysis, leads up to the
disavowal of the Divine attributes. Polytheism is nothing but that one should
ascribe the Divine attributes of being All-Hearing and AII-Seeing, Almighty and
All-Powerful, etc. to others than Allah, and should deny that AIIah alone is
the Possessor of all these attributes.
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