الصافات
As-Saffat
Those who set the Ranks • makkah • 182 Verses
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وَٱلصَّٰٓفَّٰتِ صَفًّا
Important Words:
و (by) means, also; then; while; during; at the same time, together; with; but; however. It is also synonymous with رب(rubba) i.e. frequently; sometimes, perhaps. It is also a particle of swearing meaning, 'by' or 'I swear' or 'I cite as witness.' (Aqrab & Lane).و has been used in the present and the next two verses in the sense of 'by' or 'I swear' or 'I cite as witness.'
The words الصافات صفا (who range themselves in close ranks) may signify: (1) Muslims standing in close rows behind their Imam in the five daily Prayers, or (2) Muslims who stand in battle array facing the enemy.
For a collective explanatory note on this and the next two verses see v. 4.
Commentary:
In this and the next two verses, God has sworn by certain beings or things or has cited them as witnesses. Ordinarily, when a person takes an oath, his object is to supply the deficiency of insufficient testimony or to add weight or conviction to his assertion. In fact, by so doing he calls God to witness that he speaks the truth, when there is no witness in the case. But such is not the case with the Quranic oaths. When the Quran adopts such a form, the truth of the statement it makes is not sought to be proved by a mere allegation but by a solid argument implied in the oath itself. Sometimes, these oaths refer to the obvious laws of nature and by implication draw attention to what may be inferred from what is obvious. Another object of a Quranic oath is to make a prophecy the fulfilment of which establishes its truth. For a collective note on this and the next verse see v. 4 below.
The particle waw means, also; then; while; during; at the same time, together; with; but; however. It is also synonymous with rubba, i.e. frequently; sometimes, perhaps. It is also a particle of swearing meaning, 'by' or 'I swear,' or 'I cite as witness' (Aqrab & Lane). Waw has been used in the present and the next two verses in the sense of 'by,' or 'I swear,' or 'I cite as witness.' In the Qur’an God has sworn by certain beings or things or has cited them as witnesses. Ordinarily, when a person takes an oath and swears by Allah his object is to supply the deficiency of insufficient testimony or to add weight or conviction to his statement. By so doing he calls God to witness that he speaks the truth when there is no other person to bear witness to his statement. But such is not the case with the Quranic oaths. When the Qur’an adopts such a form the truth of the statement it makes is not sought to be proved by a mere assertion but by a solid argument implied in the oath itself
Muslims standing in battle array facing the enemy or standing behind their Imam in the five daily Prayers.
فَٱلزَّٰجِرَٰتِ زَجْرًا
Important Words:
الزاجرات زجرا (who drive away the enemy vigorously) may signify: (a) Muslims who wage a relentless war against their evil passions; or (b) Muslims who fight and drive away the enemy of Islam vigorously or (c) the custodians of law and order.
Waging a relentless war against the enemy of Islam and driving them away vigorously. The words may also signify the custodians of law and order.
فَٱلتَّٰلِيَٰتِ ذِكْرًا
Important Words:
التالیات ذکرا (who recite the Reminder—the Quran) may refer to Muslims reciting the Quran regularly.
Commentary:
The description given in this and the preceding two verses may apply to believers and as such the clause, "those who range themselves in close rows," may signify the believers who stand in rows behind their Imam in the five daily Prayers or those who stand in battle array facing the enemy. The next verse, "and they drive away the enemy vigorously," may refer to the believers who wage a veritable war against their own passions, and keep them under restraint, or to believers who hold the enemy effectively in check. And the words "and they recite the Reminder—the Quran" may mean Muslims who recite the Quran and remember God and glorify Him in the day and night Prayers, or even when they are engaged in fighting against the enemy.
These verses read in conjunction with the verse that follows embody both a prophecy and a statement of fact. As a statement of fact, they signify that there live in all times and among every people a group of righteous and God-fearing Muslims who, by word and deed and by precept and practice, bear testimony to the great truth, viz. إن إلھکم لواحد i.e. God is One.
As a prophecy, however, the verses signify that though at present the whole of Arabia is sunk deep in idol-worship and moral turpitude but a community of the Faithful will soon be born who not only will themselves glorify God and sing His praises and make the whole country resound with their hosannas but will also succeed in establishing Divine Unity in the land.
These verses may have yet another interpretation, viz. that if a representative gathering of the learned men of various Faiths were held in a peaceful atmosphere and the basic religious principles were discussed and debated impartially and dispassionately in a calm atmosphere, under the supervision of the custodians of law and order, the inevitable outcome of the deliberations of such a gathering will be the affirmation of the doctrine that "God is One".
Reciters of the Qur’an.
إِنَّ إِلَٰهَكُمْ لَوَٰحِدٌ
5:74; 16:23; 22:35.
These verses (2-5) embody both a prophecy and a statement of fact. As a statement of fact they signify that there live in all times and among every people a group of righteous and God-fearing men who, by word and deed and by precept and practice, bear testimony to the truth that God is One. As a prophecy, however, the verses signify that though at present the whole of Arabia is sunk deep in idol-worship and moral turpitude, yet a community of the Faithful will soon be born who not only will themselves glorify God and sing His praises and make the whole country resound with their hosannas but will also succeed in establishing Divine Unity in the land. Thus the Companions of the Holy Prophet, some of whose characteristics are mentioned in these verses, are cited as witnesses to the Unity of God. The verses may have yet another interpretation, viz. that if a representative gathering of the learned men of various Faiths were held in a peaceful atmosphere and the basic religious principles were discussed and de
رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَرَبُّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ
19:66; 38:67; 44:8; 78:38.
Commentary:
مشارق (Sun’s risings) being the plural of مشرق which means, the place where the sun rises; the words رب المشارق may signify that God is the Lord, the Source and Centre of every kind of light, or the implied reference in the words "the Lord of sun’s risings" may be to the spread of Islam first in eastern countries, then from there to other parts of the world.
إِنَّا زَيَّنَّا ٱلسَّمَآءَ ٱلدُّنْيَا بِزِينَةٍ ٱلْكَوَاكِبِ
15:17; 41:13; 67:6.
Commentary:
It is not only the beautiful appearance of planets and stars at night that is meant here. It would be too trivial for a Divine revealed Book to make special mention, merely of the ornamental character of these heavenly bodies. They serve another very useful spiritual purpose. In fact, the verse points to a parallelism between the physical and spiritual realms, viz. that just as physical heaven is sustained by physical planets and stars, so is the spiritual heaven sustained by its spiritual counterparts who are the Prophets and Divine Reformers. Each one of them serves as an ornament for the spiritual heaven, as the stars and planets beautify and embellish the physical heaven.
15:17; 41:13; 67:6.
The verse points to a parallelism between the physical and spiritual realms, viz. that just as the physical heaven is sustained by physical planets and stars, so is the spiritual heaven sustained by their spiritual counterparts who are the Prophets and Divine Reformers. Each one of them serves as an ornament for the spiritual heaven, as the stars and planets beautify and embellish the physical heaven.
وَحِفْظًا مِّن كُلِّ شَيْطَٰنٍ مَّارِدٍ
15:18; 41:13; 67:6.
Important Words:
مارد (rebellious) is active participle from مرد which means, he exalted himself; he was insolent and audacious in pride and in acts of disobedience; he was excessively proud or rebellious; he was refractory; he outstripped others in pride or disobedience; مارد therefore means, rebellious, excessively proud, insolently disobedient (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The analogy between the physical and spiritual systems, which was begun in the preceding verse, is continued in the present one. We are here told that just as each star serves as an ornament for the physical heaven and guards it by gravitation and other means which are yet unknown to man, similarly every Prophet is an ornament for the spiritual heaven, and by appearing at a time when his presence is urgently needed, helps to guard the same. Moreover, every Prophet fights and routs those wicked people who seek to distort the Word of God and frustrate His designs. The word "satans" in the verse refers to disbelievers who refuse to obey their Prophet and seek to make spiritual progress independently of him. Against such people the doors of spiritual heaven are firmly barred.
'Satans' who carry on a wicked campaign against the Word of God are of two categories: (a) Internal enemies of the Muslim Community such as "the hypocrites," etc. They are called شیطان مارد (the rebellious satan) in the Quran and (b) external enemies or disbelievers who are described in the Quran as شیطان رجیم (satan, the rejected). The words شیطان مارد (rebellious satan) may also refer to astrologers and soothsayers who in time of spiritual darkness before the advent of a Divine Reformer, ply their evil trade and to a certain extent succeed in deceiving simple-minded people.
15:18; 41:13; 67:6.
Satans are of two categories: (a) Internal enemies of the Muslim Community such as the hypocrites, etc. They are called 'the rebellious satans' as in this verse: and (b) external enemies or disbelievers who are described as 'satans, the rejected' (15:18).
لَّا يَسَّمَّعُونَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلَإِ ٱلْأَعْلَىٰ وَيُقْذَفُونَ مِن كُلِّ جَانِبٍ
26:212-213.
Commentary:
The verse means to say that all the tall claims of astrologers and soothsayers that they have access to the secrets of the unknown are false and unfounded. They do not and cannot have access to well-guarded divine secrets (15:10). It further appears from the Quran that none can know the Word of God until it is revealed to a Prophet (72:27-28). If it were possible for "satans" to have access to things that are under the special protection of God such as His Word, etc. then its very sanctity and inviolability would have become subject to serious doubts. In fact, divine secrets are God’s specially guarded preserve to which satans can have no access (26:213) and which are made known only to God’s chosen servants and His Elect.
دُحُورًا ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ وَاصِبٌ
Important Words:
دحورا (repulsed) is derived from دحر. They say دحرہ i.e. He (God) drove him away; expelled or banished him; expelled him with ignominy. دحور means, driven away, rejected or cast away (Lane & Aqrab).
واصب (perpetual) is active participle from وصب which means, it continued; was constant; was fixed; settled or firm. وصب علی الامرmeans, he kept, attended or applied himself constantly perseveringly, or assid-uously to the thing and managed it or conducted it well. واصب therefore would mean, perpetual, constant, permanent (Lane & Aqrab). See also 16:53.