یَدَا

3:182; 36:48.

5:69.

3:56; 5:15.

2:18.

Important Words:

یداه (both His hands). The word ید (hand or arm) is derived from یدی (yadyun) and, besides its literal meaning, gives a number of figurative meanings e.g., (1) favour, benefit, bounty or generosity; (2) power, dominion, control, authority or superiority (Aqrab & Lane).

Commentary:

The expression: Their own hands shall be tied up, signifies that the Jews shall be suitably punished for their insolent saying expressed in the words, The hand of Allah is tied up. The sentence may also be taken as optative, meaning, "may their hands be tied up." But as what Allah wills must come to pass, therefore the expression may be better rendered in the form of a positive statement, meaning that the Jews shall become miserly and stingy.

The clause, Nay, both His hands are wide open, constitutes a crushing reply to the taunt of the Jews, that the hand of Allah is tied up. The Quran says that not only is the hand of God not tied up but that both His hands are wide open—the one to give to the believers in plenty and the other to punish the Jews for their insolence. The sentences which follow the clause, Nay, both His hands are wide open, refer respectively to the work of the two hands of God, namely (1) the bestowal of special bounties upon believers, and (2) the exemplary punishment of Jews for their sins. It will be noted that the hand is used both as an instrument for bestowing a favour or bounty and as a symbol of power and dominion for seizing and punishing an offender.

The enmity and hatred referred to in the verse are to exist and continue not only among Jews themselves but also among Christians, as well as between Jews and Christians.

The expression, Whenever they kindle a fire for war, refers to the attempts of Jews to incite the idolaters of Arabia to wage war against Muslims, as well as to their own hostile activities against Islam.

2:8; 6:26; 17:47; 41:6; 47:17.

Commentary:

These scoffers and mockers treat lightly the word of God and turn away from it and do not pause to consider that their plans, contrivances and designs have created only moral chaos, economic disruption and international rivalries. They have destroyed the peace of the world. But though all their schemes and plans have ended in complete failure and have added to the world’s chaos and disruption, they pay no heed to Divine guidance and thus belie their own experience that the rejection of Divine guidance never produces good results. What do these people who persistently refuse to see reason and do not make use of their God-given faculties expect except that these faculties should become rusted and corroded and that they should be left to their fate floundering in sin and iniquity?

3:183; 8:52; 41:47.

4:43.

Commentary:

"The punishment which is near at hand," seems to refer to the punishment which is meted out to the sinful disbelievers in this world. Elsewhere in the Quran (32:22) this punishment has been described as العذاب الادنی (nearer punishment) as against العذاب الاکبر (the greater punishment) which is punishment in the Hereafter. This nearer punishment took the form of the defeats which the disbelievers suffered at the hands of Muslims, and finally that of the Fall of Mecca when the cup of their utter mortification and humiliation became full to the brim. The verse gives a befitting picture of the state of mind of the Quraish leaders on that day.

108:4.

Important Words:

یدان (two hands), is the dual form of ید which among other things means, power, influence; assistance, help, protection; troops, host, army; possession; wealth (Lane). See also 5:65, & 38:46.

تب (perish) means, he suffered loss; he became lost; he perished; he died. تباب , تبیب and تب (tabbun) are all infinitive nouns meaning, loss; death; destruction; perdition. They say تباله i.e. may he perish; may perdition be his lot. تبت یدہ also means, may he perish (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

ابولھب (Father of Flame) was the nick name of ‘Abdul-‘Uzza, the Holy Prophet’s uncle and his inveterate enemy and persecutor. He was so called either because his complexion and hair were ruddy or because he had a fiery temper. The Surah recalls an incident during the early preachings of the Holy Prophet. On being informed by God to call together his relatives and to deliver to them the Divine Message the Holy Prophet stood on the Mount Safa and called the different Meccan tribes by name—the tribes of Lawwi, Murra, Kilab and Qussayy, and his near relatives, and told them that he was God’s Messenger, and that if they did not accept his Message and did not give up their evil ways, Divine punishment would overtake them. The Holy Prophet had hardly finished his speech, when Abu Lahab stood up and said, تبالک ألھذا جمعتنا ھذا الیوم i.e. ruin seize thee, is it for this that thou hast called us together (Bukhari).

The sobriquet "Father of Flame" may either refer to the Holy Prophet’s uncle or to any hot tempered enemy of Islam or better still it may apply to the western powers of the latter days who own and control atomic and nuclear weapons—one group of them repudiating God altogether, and the other denying His Unity but both being equally opposed to Islam. In this sense "the two hands" would signify these two groups.

The verse purports to say that all endeavours and machinations of the enemies of Islam, particularly of the two groups of western powers and their satellites, would utterly fail and all their nefarious designs would recoil on their own heads; they would burn with rage at seeing Islam progressing, and their own wealth, power and possessions (أید) perishing before their very eyes.