فَعَسَىٰ رَبِّىٓ أَن يُؤْتِيَنِ خَيْرًا مِّن جَنَّتِكَ وَيُرْسِلَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْبَانًا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَتُصْبِحَ صَعِيدًا زَلَقًا
68:33
Important Words:
حسبانا (thunderbolt) is derived from حسب. They say حسبه i.e. be counted, reckoned or computed it. حسبه (hassabahu) means, he placed a pillar for him; he buried him or buried him in stones. حسباناmeans, punishment; a calamity; an affliction with which a man is tried; locusts; dust or smoke; fire; small arrows; a thunderbolt (Lane & Aqrab).
زلقا (bare slippery) is derived from زلق i.e. he slipped. زلق راسه means, he shaved his head. مکان زلق means, a slippery place; a place where the foot does not remain firm. The Quranic expression فتصبح صعیدا زلقا means, so that it shall become smooth ground, with nothing in it or such that the feet shall not stand firmly upon it (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The word used here is جنة (garden) which is singular and so are the pronouns that follow it (as also in vv. 36 and 40). Thus the present verse and vv. 36 and 40 speak of one garden only because of the two gardens one had practically perished before Islam and was not worth much compared with the other. If Christians had boasted of their two gardens it would have been an empty boast. The garden which is the source of pride for Christians is the one which flourished after Islam—their present material progress and power. Hence the use of the word جنة in the singular.
The words "from heaven" show that no earthly power will be able effectively to combat and resist the military might of Christian nations. God Himself will create circumstances which will lead to their destruction. It is to this irresistible might of Gog and Magog who represent the material glory of Christianity that the Holy Prophet referred when he said, لا یدان لاحد لقتا لھم i.e. none will have the power to fight them (Muslim, Chap. on Dajjal).
The words صعیدا زلقا (bare slippery ground) which have been used here are analogous to the words صعیدا جرزا (barren soil) which have been used in v. 9 above about Christians who attribute a son to God. This shows that the present verse also speaks of Christians.
68:33.
This verse and vv. 36 and 40 speak of one garden only because of the two gardens (v. 33) one had practically perished before Islam. The "garden" which proved to be the greatest source of pride for Christians is the one which flourished after Islam their present material great progress and power.
The words 'from heaven' show that no earthly power will be able effectively to combat and resist the military might of Western Christian nations. God Himself will create circumstances which will bring about their destruction. It is to this irresistible might of Gog and Magog who represent the material glory of Christianity that the Holy Prophet referred when he is reported to have said, 'None will have the power to fight them' (Muslim, ch. on "Dajjal").