زِدْ

11:4, 62; 71:11.

Important Words:

مدرارا (pouring down abundant rain) is derived from در which means, it (the milk) was or became copious or abundant; or it flowed copiously or abundantly. They say درت الناقة بلبنھا i.e. the she-camel yielded her milk, or made it to flow, copiously or abundantly. درت السماء بالمطر means, the sky poured down rain abundantly. سماء مدرار means, a sky pouring down abundance of rain. رزق دار means, continual and, uninterrupted sustenance (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

This verse shows that the chief occupation of the people of ‘Ad was agriculture and that they depended on rainwater for the cultivation of their land, there being no wells or canals to irrigate it. It also hints that the acceptance of a Prophet of God improves and betters not only the moral and spiritual condition of a people but also their material condition and leads to all-round progress and prosperity.

7:46; 11:20; 14:4.

Commentary:

The verse mentions two classes of disbelievers; (1) those who are themselves misguided and (2) those who mislead others also. The latter class of disbelievers will have double punishment in the next life. The irony of it lies in the fact that the clever people who deceived their simple-minded followers into believing that they would be responsible for their salvation will find their own punishment to be double the punishment of their credulous followers for whose salvation they proudly said they would be responsible.

7:179; 18:18; 39:37-38.

6:129; 19:69.

Commentary:

In this verse believers are assured that they should not feel discouraged at the obstinacy and waywardness of disbelievers because those who are the inveterate enemies of the truth today may become its devoted votaries tomorrow. The decision as to who deserves to be guided in the end and who will forever remain wedded to disbelief rests entirely in God’s own hands. One thing, however, is certain: truth shall ultimately prevail. So there is no cause for believers to be disheartened at the opposition shown by disbelievers.

The words "on their faces" have also been used in 54:49 where we have, On the day when they will be dragged into the Fire on their faces. So the words in the verse under comment may also mean that disbelievers "shall be dragged on their faces" into the fire i.e. they shall be humbled, disgraced and severely punished. Some sayings of the Holy Prophet also throw light on the meaning of the words, "on their faces." He is reported to have said, ان الذی امشھم علی ارجلھم قادر علی ان یمشیھم علی وجوھھم i.e. He Who has made men walk on their feet can also make them move along on their faces (Bukhari, Kitabur-Riqaq). Another hadith says that on the Day of Resurrection men will be raised in three different forms. Some will be raised as riding, others on foot, and yet others on their faces. Another hadith speaks of the people of the last category as being dragged on their faces (Ma‘ani, vol. 15). It appears that people of the first category will be the Prophets, those of the second the Faithful, while those belonging to the third category will be the disbelievers. In fact, an action done in this world will assume a corresponding form in the next. As the aim and object of disbelievers in this world is the attainment of paltry material gains and they, as it were, instead of looking up to God, look down to earth, so in this verse they are represented as moving along with their faces turned downward in the next life.

The Arabic expression مرالقوم علی وجوھھم means, the people went on hurrying. Taken in this sense the words علی وجوھھم mean, when disbelievers are raised on the Day of Resurrection, they will be hurrying along which would indicate the perturbed state of their minds (14:44). The word وجه also means, an object, intention or motive. In this sense of the word, the expression "on their faces," would mean that God would raise them according to their intentions and motives and the objects they pursued in this life. As in the present life, they turned their backs to God, so in the life to come they would be kept far removed from Him. And as they did not employ their natural powers to find out the truth in this life, so they would be deprived of these powers in the next and would be raised deaf, dumb and blind.

The words "it abates" do not mean that the fire of Hell will become extinguished or its intensity would lessen. They only mean that when on account of burning in the Fire for a sufficiently long time, the disbelievers’ sense of feeling became dull, God would again sharpen it and they would once more begin to feel the burning of Hellfire as keenly as before. See also 4:57.

8:3; 47:18.

Commentary:

The verse shows that many fantastic stories were current about the Dwellers of the Cave in the Holy Prophet’s time. The truth about them, however, is that they were young men of noble conduct who had staked their all for the sake of their Lord and that their faith had steadily grown under persecution.

23:117.

Commentary:

The words O my Lord, increase me in knowledge show the great importance that the Quran attaches to the acquirement of knowledge. Even the Holy Prophet to whom was vouchsafed knowledge about the generations that have passed away and about those that are yet to be born أوتیت علم الاولین و الآخرین)), is taught to pray that his knowledge may be increased. He is further reported to have said, "Seek knowledge though it may be found in a country as far away as China" (Saghir vol. 1). Elsewhere in the Quran knowledge has been styled as "God’s great grace" (2:270 & 4:114).

The verse also implies that all knowledge is of two kinds: (a) that which is vouchsafed to man through revelation and which has found its perfect manifestation in the Quran which is the last and most perfect Divine teaching; (b) that which man acquires by his own effort and labour. It is this second kind of knowledge for the acquisition of which man is enjoined in the present verse to make ceaseless effort.

The verse also implies that the Quran will come to be increasingly read and followed.

7:39.

Commentary:

The followers of the leaders of disbelief will invoke the curse of God upon the heads of their erstwhile leaders.

3:146; 4:135; 17:20.

3:146; 17:19.

Commentary:

In v. 19 above believers and disbelievers in life after death have been mentioned together. The present verse warns those whose efforts are wholly directed towards acquiring the vanities and paltry things of this life that they will be deprived of the bliss and blessings of everlasting life of the Hereafter, but those who prepare for the next life will have Divine blessings bestowed upon them without measure or diminution.

25:58; 38:87.

Commentary:

The expression لا أسئلکم علیه أجرا إلا الـمودة فی القربی is supposed to bear several interpretations. Some of these are as follows: (1) I ask of you no reward for calling you to the way of God except that, being related to you by ties of kinship, my solicitude for your spiritual well-being impels me to invite you to accept the message of truth. In this case إلا is إستثناء منقطع; (2) I ask of you no reward for the great work I am doing for your spiritual benefit except that you should learn to live and behave like blood relations; (3) I ask no reward or return for my solicitude and love for you except that in offering opposition to me you should at least have some regard for the ties of relationship that I have with you; and (4) I want no reward from you except that you should learn to develop a liking for attaining nearness to God (the word قربی meaning قربة i.e. nearness). This last meaning agrees with 25:58 where the Holy Prophet is stated as saying to his people: "I ask of you naught in return for it except that he who will, may take a way to his Lord."

26:118; 54:10.