See 1:1.

19:68.

Important Words:

حین (period) is derived from حان. They say حان الشیء i.e. the time of the thing came near, it happened. حین means, time or a space or period of time, any time; a continuous time; an appointed time; time absolutely; the time when an event takes place; time without end (Lane & Aqrab).

الدھر (time) is infinitive noun from دھر. They say دھر القوم أمر مکروہ i.e. an evil event befell the people. دھر means, time from the beginning of the world to the end; any long or unlimited period of time; a period of time whether long or short; time without end, differing from زمان which means, time having end. دھر also means, an age; fate or fortune; an evil event or accident; a misfortune; a calamity, a purpose; a desire; the end that one has in view; a custom or habit (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

الانسان (man) in this and the next verse does not mean human species as such, but every man. The verse means that before man is born, he is not mentioned, spoken of, or referred to; the reference being to his insignificant and unmentionable beginning.

18:38; 35:12; 36:78; 40:68; 80:20.

Commentary:

أمشاج is the plural of مشیج which means, a mixture. Man is created from a sperm drop which itself is a mixture of several things, the implication being that he has been endowed with various natural powers, faculties and attributes meant for his moral and spiritual advance. This process of the creation of man points only to a general rule of creation; not that in no case could it be otherwise. The fact that man is gifted with insight and understanding signifies that he is a free agent, enjoying discretion and volition; therefore he is responsible for his actions. The belief in man’s freedom of action and responsibility leads inevitably to the belief in the Hereafter.

90:11.

Commentary:

God has given man reason and understanding. He has made him responsible for his actions, and through His Messengers and Prophets has shown him the way that leads to God-realization. But it is for man to make right use of God-given faculties and opportunities (this being the meaning of شکر), and by submitting to Divine laws to achieve the object of his creation or by flouting them to bring about his spiritual death.

18:103; 29:69; 33:9; 48:14.

Commentary:

For a detailed explanation of the nature and significance of the punishments of Hell, see 69:30-33. Briefly, the verse alludes to the fact that every deed which a man does is followed by a corresponding act of God. The entanglements of dis-believers in worldly affairs will take the form of chains in the next world, cares of the world will take the form of iron-collars, and greed and carnal desires that of Hellfire.

Important Words:

کافورا (camphor) is derived from کفر i.e. to cover or to suppress. The meaning is that the quaffing of camphor-drink will have the effect of cooling down animal passions. The heart of righteous believers will be cleansed of every impure thought and they will be refrigerated with the coolness of deep divine knowledge.

Commentary:

Righteous believers will drink of cups which will be filled from springs which they have dug with great labour, i.e. the deeds which they had done in the earthly life would appear in the next world in the form of springs. This is the first stage of spiritual evolution which requires hard and continuous striving on the part of believers, because unless man brings under control, and suppresses, his evil propensities, he cannot make any spiritual progress. The "spring" mentioned in the verse is the spring of God’s love and Divine realization.

Commentary:

Fulfilling "the vow" signifies the discharging of man’s duties to God. Man’s obligations to his fellow-beings are mentioned in the next verse.

2:178; 90:15-17.

Important Words:

طعام (food) is inf. noun from طعم i.e. he tasted or ate. طعام means, food; wholesome and agreeable food which satisfies the eater. They say ما یطعم آکل ھذا الطعام i.e. the eater of this food does not become satisfied (Lane).

Commentary:

The verse may mean: (1) Because they love God, so, in order to win His pleasure, they feed the poor and the captives. (2) They feed the poor for the sake of feeding them, i.e. they do the good act of feeding for the sake of doing good, seeking no reward, appreciation or approbation for what they do. (3) They feed the poor while they themselves need the money which they spend on others. The verse also signifies that the righteous believers give the poor wholesome and agreeable food, طعام meaning agreeable and wholesome food (Lane). This implies that the believers are expected to give in charity the things they love most. Elsewhere the Quran says: "You cannot attain to righteousness unless you spend in the way of Allah out of that which you love best (3:93).

Commentary:

In everything that a believer does his whole attention is directed towards winning the pleasure of God—his highest ambition. He wants no return, reward or appreciation. His reward is with his Lord and Master.

Important Words:

عبوساً (frowning) is derived from عبس. They say عبس وجھه i.e. he frowned; he grinned, frowning or looking sternly or austerely. یوم عبوس means, a distressful or calamitous day, or a day that makes one distressful (Lane).

قمطریر (calamitous) is derived from اقمطر which means, it was or became distressful or calamitous. یوم قمطریر means, a distressful or calamitous day, or a day that makes one knit the brow or contract the skin between the eyes. شر قمطریر means, an intense evil (Lane).

22:24.

18:32; 36:57; 83:24.

20:120.

Important Words:

زمھریرا (excessive cold) is derived from زمھر. They say زمھرت العین او ازمھرت i.e. the eye became red on account of anger. ازمھر الیومmeans, the day became intensely cold. ازمھر وجھه means, his face became contracted with a stern or morose look. زمھریرmeans, cold or intense cold (Lane & Aqrab).

43:72.

Commentary:

The vessel from which the righteous will drink will be as white as silver and as bright and crystal clear as glass, and they will receive the paradisiacal drink in quantity according to the measure of the good deeds they had done in this life.

Commentary:

زنجبیل (ginger) is a compound of زنی (meaning to ascend) and جبل (meaning mountain). The compound word زنجبیل therefore means, "he ascended the mountain." زنجبیل or ginger is the root of a plant, very useful in promoting the natural heat of the body. The name given to it points to this property, for it gives strength to and generates heat in the weak body so as to enable a person to ascend precipitous heights. These two verses in which کافور (camphor) and زنجبیل (ginger) are respectively spoken of call attention to the two stages through which a believer has to pass in order to make advance, from the low position of slavery to passion, to the heights of virtue and righteousness. The first stage is that in which poisonous materials are suppressed and the flood of passions begins to subside. This we term the کافور (camphor) stage; for in this stage what is effected is only the suppression of poisonous matter, just as کافور has the property of nullifying the strong effect of passion. But the spiritual power which is required to overcome all difficulties is acquired in the second stage which is called the زنجبیل stage. The spiritual ginger (زنجبیل) which has the effect of a tonic on the spiritual system is the manifestation of Divine Beauty and Glory which affords nourishment to the soul. Braced with this manifestation, the spiritual wayfarer is able to traverse the dreary deserts and to climb the steep heights to be met with on his spiritual journey. To make men understand these two spiritual stages two words have been employed by the Quran, viz. کافور or that which suppresses poisonous matters and زنجبیل or that which gives strength to ascend spiritual heights and overcome all difficulties in the spiritual journey. Whereas at the کافور (camphor) stage the righteous will themselves drink the wine of God’s love, at the much higher زنجبیل (ginger) stage they will be served with this elixir.

Commentary:

The word سلسبیل literally meaning "enquire about the way," the verse purports to say that at the زنجبیل (ginger) stage the spiritual wayfarer becomes so much intoxicated with Divine love that, in his overbearing anxiety to meet God, he enquires everywhere and of everyone about the nearest and speediest approach to the Divine threshold.

52:25; 56:18.

Commentary:

In addition to the spiritual kingdom that the righteous believers have been promised for the Hereafter, they were given mastery of the great empires of the time in this very life.

18:32; 44:54.

18:32; 22:24; 35:34.

Commentary:

At the کافور stage of spiritual journey the God-intoxicated wayfarer is described as himself seeking to drink the wine of God’s love (v. 6) and at the زنجبیل stage, he is served by others with the life-giving beverage (v. 18), but at the last or سلسبیلstage God Himself gives him to drink the elixir of everlasting life.

32:18; 43:73.

Commentary:

For a full discussion of the nature, form and scope of the paradisiacal blessings, see chapters 52, 55 & 56. This verse and those preceding it may also apply to the great Divine favours that were bestowed upon the followers of the Holy Prophet in this very life.