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.