الشعراء

See 1:1.

Commentary:

See 1:1.

Commentary:

The مقطعات (abbreviated letters) طسم may stand for the three Divine attributes, viz. Benignant, All-Hearing and All-Knowing; the letter ط representing the Divine attribute لطیف (Benignant), س representing سمیع (All-Hearing) and م standing for علیم (All-Knowing). These مقطعات show that in the present and the following few Surahs, which are similar and subordinate to the present Surah, in subject-matter, light has been shed on the fact that God is humanity’s Great Benefactor; He is Kind and Compassionate to His servants; He hears their prayers and supplications and knows the inmost secrets of their hearts and all their needs and requirements and fulfils them. They further show that light has also been thrown in these Surahs on the laws and rules which regulate and govern the universe and thus demonstrate Divine Majesty, Dignity and Glory and that sound and solid arguments have been given to support and substantiate what the Quran asserts and claims. These مقطعات give such a beautiful and complete picture of Divine attributes as no other revealed Scripture has done and by implication exhort a Muslim to assimilate and develop in his person these attributes because God has created man in His own image and to the extent to which he assimilates Divine attributes, to that extent he rises morally and spiritually and becomes his Creator’s manifestation.

The present and next two Surahs form a special group known as the طسم (Ta Sin Mim) group. These three Surahs bear a very close resemblance to each other in their subject-matter and were revealed in the same period at Mecca. As all of them deal particularly with the life-story of Moses in some detail, some commentators of the Quran have taken the abbreviated letters طسم as standing for Mount Sinai and Moses; طس standing for طور سیناء (Mount Sinai) and م for موسی (Moses).

The fact that the present Surah and 28th Surah are prefixed with the abbreviated letters طسم and give a much more detailed account of the different phases of Moses’ chequered life, coupled with the fact that the 27th Surah has only طس placed in its beginning (the letter م having been significantly omitted) and makes only a very brief reference to him, lends additional weight to the inference that this letter stands for Moses.

It may also be added that the three Divine attributes Benignant, All-Hearing and All-Knowing have also a strong bearing on the life story of Moses, related in some detail in these three Surahs.

For a detailed explanation, however, of مقطعات (abbreviated letters) see 2:2 & 19:2.

12:2; 15:2; 27:2; 28:3.

Important Words:

مبین (clear) as active participle from أبان which is derived from بان which being intransitive means it (the thing) was or became clear, manifest, plain, etc. أبان is used both as transitive and intransitive. أبان الحق or استبان الحق (haqqu) means, the truth became apparent and أبان الحق (haqqa) means, he made the truth clear. مبین therefore means, (1) that which itself is clear and manifest; (2) that which makes other things clear and (3) that which cuts off one thing from another and renders it distinct and separate from it (Lane & Aqrab). See also 2:169.

Commentary:

The word مبین as its meanings show, points to the following three salient features of the Quran, viz. (1) that it not only states facts and makes prophecies and lays down laws and ordinances but also supports and substantiates what it says and claims by solid arguments and sound reasons; (2) that it is not only clear in itself but makes clear the obscurities and ambiguities that are to be found in previous revealed scriptures; and (3) that all that is essential for the attainment of nearness to God and all that relates to the laws of the Shari‘ah, to ethics and to matters of belief has been made quite clear in it.

This is a quality which the Quran possesses to the entire exclusion of all other revealed Books. Other scriptures are only مستبین (clear in themselves) but the Quran is not only مستبین but is also مبین (makes clear the obscurities that are to be found in other Books). What adds to the beauty of the Quran as کتاب مبین (clear and perspicuous Book) is that all its teachings are in perfect harmony with کتاب مکنون(preserved Book) i.e. pure and unsullied nature.

18:7.

Important Words:

For باخع see 18:7.

Commentary:

The verse speaks volumes for the Holy Prophet’s concern and solicitude for the spiritual well-being of his people. His grief over their rejection of his message and opposition to it had almost killed him. He knew that if his people did not desist from opposing him and did not give up their evil ways, Divine wrath would descend upon them. The realization of this fact lay very heavy upon his heart. God’s Messengers and His Prophets are full of the milk of human kindness. They cry and weep and grieve for mankind. But such is human ingratitude that those very people for whom they feel so deeply persecute them and seek to kill them.

Important Words:

اعناق (necks) is the plural of عنق (‘unuqun) which is derived from عنق (‘aniqa) which means, his neck became tall. عنقmeans, neck, a portion of good; the upper portion of an elevated tract of land; the leaders or chiefs of a people, a company or a large company of men. They say جاء نی عنق من الناس i.e. a party of men came to me. The word also means, the first part of everything. They say مات فلان فی عنق الصیف i.e. such a one died in the beginning of summer. ھم عنق الیک means, they are inclined and listening to thee or expecting thee (Lane & Aqrab). اعناق therefore means, (a) different parties; (b) leaders; (c) those who are waiting for a sign to come.

Commentary:

The verse means to say that the Holy Prophet’s grief for his disbelieving people will not be in vain. If they do not cease opposing him, they will be visited with the sign of punishment which will humiliate and debase their leaders. That great sign was witnessed by the Quraish in the Battle of Badr when they suffered a most humiliating defeat at the hands of a small number of poor and ill-equipped Muslims and when almost all their great leaders were killed. Again they witnessed it in the Fall of Mecca when the cause of Islam triumphed fully and completely and the Quraish saw that they had to seek pardon from one whom they had hunted out of his native city and upon whose head they had placed a heavy price.

21:3, 43.

Commentary:

The word "new" means, "in a new form" or "with new details". In fact, all Divine Laws are similar in their fundamentals and basic teachings. It is only in details that they differ. Or a new Law is revealed in a changed form in order to suit the ideas, needs and requirements of the particular time in which it is revealed. Some Prophets come with a new Law, while others only serve the existing Law.

6:35; 22:43; 35:26; 40:6.

Commentary:

The verse has an implied allusion to the Biblical prophecy, viz. "the stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner" (Matt. 21:42).

36:34-37.

Commentary:

Of all Divine Books it is the Quran which declared this great scientific truth as far back as about 1400 years that all things have been created in pairs. The verse further implies that when in the physical world all things have been created in pairs, it stands to reason that in the spiritual world also things should be in pairs—a Moses or a Jesus should have his counterpart and the Mosaic Dispensation should also have its counterpart—the Islamic Dispensation.

Commentary:

In the present Surah brief accounts of several great Prophets of God have been given and the account of every Prophet has ended with the words, "Verily thy Lord is the Mighty, the Merciful." These words imply that the circumstances of the Holy Prophet will resemble those of the Prophets mentioned in this Surah. He will go through the same trials and tribulations through which they had to pass and will face the same tempests and temptations which those Prophets had to meet, but whereas the Mighty God seized and destroyed the enemies of those Prophets, in the case of the Holy Prophet the Mighty God will not only manifest His might and power in giving victory to the Holy Prophet and in making his cause triumph and prosper but will also show mercy to his people, inasmuch as only a small minority of them will be destroyed while an overwhelming majority will receive Divine forgiveness and mercy and in the end will accept his Message.

20:25; 79:17-18.

Commentary:

The account of the seven great Prophets mentioned in the Surah begins with the story of Moses, the greatest of all the Israelite Prophets and the like of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. As many as fifty eight verses have been devoted to him.

20:46; 28:35.

20:28.

20:31.

Important Words:

لا ینطلق is derived from طلق. They say طلقت الناقة i.e. the she-camel was or broke loosed from her bond. طلقت المرأة زوجھا means the woman was or became divorced or separated from her husband. انطلق لسانه means, his tongue was or became eloquent or chaste in speech or was or became free from impediment and hence eloquent or chaste in speech (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse suggests that Moses did not seem to feel that he was quite equal to the great task with which he was being entrusted. The responsibilities of prophethood are indeed very heavy. At the time of the first revelation the Holy Prophet himself felt overwhelmed with anxiety.

28:34.

Important Words:

For ذنب see 3:17. According to Imam Raghib any error or fault which produces a harmful result and for which one is liable to account is ذنب. It may be deliberate or committed through inadvertence.

Commentary:

The words "they have a charge against me" show that the people of Pharaoh had charged Moses with the murder of an Egyptian, not that Moses was actually guilty of a deliberate murder.

The incident referred to here is mentioned in Exod. 2:11-15. In the Quran it is referred to in 28:16-21, where it is stated that it was not intentional murder. Moses was defending an Israelite whom an Egyptian was beating and in the scuffle the latter happened to be killed. The words "I fear that they may kill me", should not be understood to mean that Moses was afraid of death. He was afraid lest the Egyptians should kill him on the charge of his having killed an Egyptian, before he should have delivered his message and have fulfilled his mission which was dearer to him than life itself.

28:36.

Important Words:

کلا means, no; by no means; on the contrary; by all means; at any rate; truly. The particle is also used to remonstrate with a person and to tell him that what he says is not correct, or it is used for rejecting the request of a person (Aqrab & Baqa).

Commentary:

In the preceding two verses Moses had made one request to God and one statement of fact. The request was that because he was not eloquent in speech the great task of conveying the Divine Message to Pharaoh might be entrusted to his brother, Aaron. And he had reinforced this request by the statement that the people of Pharaoh had a charge of murder against him and on that plea they might kill him. The particle کلا (by no means) may apply either to the request or to the statement of Moses. As applying to Moses’ request it may signify that his request for the transfer of the great mission to Aaron could not be granted and as applying to the statement it may signify that the people of Pharaoh would not be able to lay hands on him. Or the particle may signify both things at the same time, viz. that Moses himself would have to carry the great mission though his brother would also be appointed as his assistant and that he should not fear being killed by the people of Pharaoh because they would not be able to lay hands on him.

Commentary:

The word رسول here is in the singular while the subject انا and the verbs used are in the dual number. In Arabic it is permissible sometimes to use singular predicate for a subject in the dual or plural number, as they say ھذان رسولی، وکیلی i.e. those two are my messengers and my agents, the words رسول and وکیل being in the singular. The Arabs also say ھؤلاء رسولی i.e. those are my messengers (Bayan). Elsewhere in the Quran (26:78) a similar construction has been used as فانھم عدو لی i.e. they are my enemies, the word عدو being in the singular but giving the sense of a plural.