حُور

11:120; 15:43-44; 32:14; 38:86.

Commentary:

The verse makes it clear that Iblis will not be allowed to waylay those chosen servants of God who would have attained to the exalted stage of spiritual rebirth. He will not also be able to force men to disobey God; for, as the verse clearly points out, only those will come under his influence who themselves choose to 'follow' him.

Commentary:

In verse 8 mention was made of the objection of disbelievers that, if the Prophet was not the subject of hallucination, it was impossible to explain that the angels which he said came to him with the Divine Message could not be seen by anyone of them. In answer to this objection it was pointed out, firstly, that angels descended on men according to their natural affinity and that, since disbelievers were the fit objects of punishment, only the angels of punishment could come to them (v. 9); secondly, that when God had afforded protection to the Messages of the previous Prophets, there was no reason why He should not have given His protection to the Message of the present claimant (v. 10); thirdly, that the mockery of disbelievers was nothing to be wondered at, since all disbelievers in their time extended the same treatment to their respective Prophets. In fact, disbelievers indulged in mockery to such an extent that they lost all fear of sin which, became as it were, second nature with them. The opponents of the Holy Prophet would meet with a similar fate (vv. 12, 13).

In the present verse another line of argument has been adopted, for in answer to the objection of disbelievers it is here said that not all men are in a position to understand all things, because understanding requires mental affinity on the part of him who wishes to understand. Disbelievers had become such strangers to spiritual matters that even if they were to undergo some of the spiritual experiences which the Holy Prophet had undergone and were to have some of the visions of the spiritual heights to which he rose, they would not believe and would only end by saying that they were subject to magic or witchcraft. The opening of "a door from heaven," spoken of in the preceding verse, refers to having spiritual experiences and "ascending through heaven" refers to visions of spiritual heights. The words "a door" i.e. not all doors but only one of the doors, are intended to hint that such people could only have passing experience of spiritual matters, which cannot conduce to any real spiritual advancement, the experience being intended only to provide them with proof of the truth of such spiritual matters.

The verse may also be taken to mean that when punishment is about to overtake disbelievers, they get frightened and say that if they were now saved from it, they would believe in the Divine Messenger. In this sense, the clause ولو فتحنا علیھم بابا من السماء (And even if We opened to them a door from heaven) occurring in the preceding verse would be taken to mean, "And if We open the door of Divine mercy and avert their punishment"; and the words فظلوا فیه یعرجون (and they began ascending through it) would mean "they, instead of turning to God, become engaged in the acquisition of material prosperity and comforts." The verse thus rebukes disbelievers that they have become so hard hearted that when they see punishment overtaking them, they repent; but when it is averted from them, they relapse into their old life of sin and engrossment in worldly pursuits.

3:146; 42:21.

Important Words:

العاجلة (the present life) is the feminine of عاجل which is derived from عجل which means, he hastened, made haste or speed; he was or became hasty, quick or expeditious. عاجل means, present; ready, not delayed; and is the contrary of آجل which means, delayed, postponed, not present, future, etc. العاجلة signifies the present hour or time; the present abode, world, life or state of existence (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse admonishes us not to confine our efforts to the achievement of the paltry material benefits of this life, which are easy to get, and not to regard these gains as a mark of God’s grace and pleasure because people who are devoid of all Divine love and are even under the displeasure of God may also succeed in achieving material prosperity by making proper use of the material resources at their disposal. Such prosperity is never the result of God’s grace. Only that prosperity can be regarded as the result of God’s grace which is accompanied by spiritual advancement. True believers, therefore, should look more to lasting spiritual blessings though they may be late in coming.

17:23; 26:214; 28:89.

Commentary:

In 16:126 we were told that a number of commandments full of wisdom would be given soon. The present verse purports to say that a few of these wise Divine commandments have already been mentioned in the previous verses. In v. 23. great stress was laid on توحید (Oneness of God). In the following verses the practical implications of the Islamic conception of توحید and the great moral and spiritual benefits that mankind has derived from this concept were explained. In the verse under comment, however, توحید is considered from another standpoint, the injury that its antithesis—idolatry (شرک) does to human intellect. A polytheist naturally feels self-condemned and realizes the untenability of his position before a believer in the Oneness of God because he knows that he possesses no solid argument to support his belief. Thus he can never enjoy real peace of mind.

25:9.

Commentary:

The expression نحن اعلم بما یستمعون به means that God knows full well the object of disbelievers in listening to the Holy Prophet. They listen to him in order to reject him and find fault with him. The expression may also mean that God is fully aware of the mental attitude of disbelievers to the Holy Prophet. They listen to him in a spirit of mockery and hostility.

The verse refers to some of the 'coverings' over the hearts of disbelievers, e.g. (a) they hold idolatrous beliefs; (b) they listen to the Quran in order to mock at it; (c) they look upon the Prophet as too weak to lead a successful movement; (d) they regard him as a victim of deception and (e) they consider him mad. All these various causes of the rejection of the Prophet by disbelievers are implied in the word مسحور (a victim of deception), which possesses a variety of meanings.

7:104; 27:13.

27:14; 28:37; 40:25.

Commentary:

The nine signs alluded to in this verse have been mentioned elsewhere in the Quran. They are as follows: (a) the rod (7:108); (b) the white hand (7:109); (c), (d) drought and scarcity of fruits which means the death of the first born children (7:131); (e) the storm; (f) the locusts; (g) the lice; (h) the frogs; and (i) the punishment of the blood (7:134). The Bible gives a strange description of these signs. Some of them were miracles pure and simple, such as the miracle of the rod and the radiant hand, while others served both as signs and as punishment. In 7:134 these Signs have been described as آیات مفصلات; the word مفصلات indicating that they were shown at intervals. Reference to these signs in this verse implies that similar signs will be shown to the Jews by the Holy Prophet and that like Pharaoh they would not benefit by them and like him they too would incur God’s displeasure and be visited with heavenly punishment.

11:13; 17:94.

17:48.

Commentary:

The objection which was begun in the preceding verse is continued in the verse under comment. "The Prophet," the disbelievers say, "should have possessed treasures of wealth which he should have distributed among his followers. He should also have had other accessories of greatness in the form of gardens and fountains. But he has none of these things. He seems to be a bewitched, or, at best a self-deceived man, a man who lives in a world of his own imagination, in a fool’s paradise."

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.

52:21; 56:23.

Important Words:

حور (fair maidens) is the plural of حوراء which is derived from حار. They say حار الثواب i.e. he washed the cloth and made it white. حورت العین means, whiteness of the white of the eye and blackness of the black thereof became intense. حوراء means, a woman having eyes like those of gazelles or combining intense whiteness of the white of the eye and intense blackness of the black thereof with whiteness or fairness of complexion (Lane and Aqrab). See also 3:53.

عین (having wide eyes) is the plural of عیناء which means, a beautiful woman having wide, black eyes. See also 37:49.

18:32; 55:55; 76:14.

44:55; 56:23.

Important Words:

زوجنا (We shall consort). زوج الشیء بالشیء (zawwaja) means, he paired or coupled a thing with a thing; united it as its fellow or like. یزوجھم ذکرانا واناثاً means, He mixes them as males and females; He makes them pairs, males or females; He makes them in different sorts or sexes (42:51). اذا النفوس زوجت means, when the souls shall be united or when people are brought together. زوج means, any sort of thing; sort or species; a woman’s husband or a man’s wife; mate, consort, comrade; class. أزواج (plural) means, species; classes or groups; mates; pairs; etc. (Lane, Aqrab, Taj & Mufradat). احشروا الذین ظلموا و أزواجھم means, assemble those who acted wrongly along with their companions (37:23).

حور is the plural of both أحور and حوراء which are derived from حار. They say حار الثوب i.e. he washed the cloth and made it white. أحور (fem. حوراء) means, a man whose eyes are characterized by the quality termed حور (hawarun), i.e. intense whiteness of the white of the eye and intense blackness of the black thereof, with intense whiteness or fairness of the rest of the person. أحور also means, pure or clear intellect. مایعیش بأحور is said of a person whose affairs are not clean (Lane, Mufradat & Taj).

عین is the plural of both أعین (a‘yan) and عیناء which are derived from عین (‘ayina) which means, he had wide black eyes. أعین and عیناء respectively mean, man and woman having black, wide and large eyes. عیناء also means, a good or beautiful saying or word (Lane, Mufradat & Taj).

Commentary:

Description of the rewards and punishments of Heaven and Hell as given in some Quranic Surahs, particularly in Ar-Rahman, Al-Waqi‘ah and in the present Surah call for an explanatory note. The following points may be borne in mind for an appreciation of life after death:

1. According to the Quran, God’s handiwork as manifested in the creation of the universe, and in that of man placed at its centre, shows that man’s life on earth has a purpose higher and nobler and beyond mere eating and drinking or leading a more or less circumscribed existence (23:115-116).

2. There is a life after death and that life is the continuation of the life which man leads in this world. One’s heaven or hell begins from this very world; death only opening up vast and unknown vistas of ever-expanding spiritual progress.

3. As soon as the human soul leaves this tabernacle of clay, it is given a new body, because the soul can make no progress or enjoy no bliss or feel no pain without a body. Its development and progress depend upon its permanent connection with a body. The new body is as fine and delicate as the soul was in this world. In fact, it is the very soul in a new transformation which after having passed through certain experiences develops a new soul which possesses far higher and finer and more delicate faculties and perception than the soul from which it emanates. To this new soul the old soul serves as a body and man is able to perceive things through his new senses which he could perceive formerly only through the soul, and is able to partake of the pains and pleasures of the next world—the present body of clay being quite unfit for the new experience. That is why the Quran says, "And no soul knows what joy of the eyes is kept hidden for them, as a reward for their good works" (32:18). And the Holy Prophet explained this Quranic verse in a well-known saying. viz. "No eye has seen the blessings of Paradise, nor has any ear heard of them nor can human mind conceive of them" (Bukhari, Kitab bad’ul-khalq).

4. Life after death is only an image and manifestation of the present life and the rewards and punishments of the next world would be only embodiments and images of the actions done in this life. Heaven and Hell are not new material worlds which come from outside. It is true that they shall be visible and palpable, call them material, if you please, but they are only embodiments of the spiritual facts of this life. The spiritual torture of this world has been represented in the Quran as a physical punishment in the next. The chains to be put round the necks of disbelievers, for instance, represent the desires of this world which keep a man’s head bent upon the earth, and it is these desires that shall assume the shape of chains. Similarly, the entanglements of this world shall be seen as fetters on the feet in the next. The heart-burning of this world shall likewise be clearly seen as flames of burning fire, and the love which a believer feels for his Lord and Creator will appear embodied as wine in the life to come, etc. Thus there will be gardens, streams, milk, honey, flesh of birds, wine, fruits, thrones, companions and many other things in Paradise; but they will not be the things of this world but the embodiments of spiritual facts of the life of this world.

5. There will be no sin, levity, or vain talk in Paradise, no pleasures of the flesh as we understand them, but all-pervading peace and pleasure of God (56:26-27). In view of this Quranic conception of Paradise, it is the height of ignorance or blind prejudice to suggest that the Quran promises a sensuous Paradise to its followers.

Moreover, the words زوجنا and عین and as explained under Important Words above, present no difficulty and, in view of these explanations, the verse may mean that in Paradise the righteous servants of God will be made to live with pure and clean companions whose faces will be shining with radiant spiritual beauty; or they will have as companions fair maidens, i.e. their wives.

Besides, the promise, made to the righteous in this ands the following verses, was literally fulfilled when the Muslims conquered vast territories of the Byzantine and Iranian Empires, and all these things fell into their hands and thus the promise constituted an incontrovertible testimony to the fact that the promise about the next life is also true.