ظُّلُمَٰتِ

3:69.

5:17; 65:12.

7:28; 16:101.

Commentary:

The preceding verse spoke of "truth" and "error" as resulting from belief in Allah and belief in Taghut respectively. The present verse further develops the idea. According to Arabic idiom, the expression, to bring out of darkness into light, means, "to lead to success and happiness not only in the spiritual but also in the physical sense"; and the opposite of it means, "to lead to failure and grief".

The word Taghut, explained under the preceding verse, here mainly refers to such mischievous leaders as turn people away from the right path. Through them disbelievers are being led to failure and grief and are also gradually losing whatever light of faith they possessed before the advent of the Holy Prophet. Their rejection of him has also led them to disown many truths which they acknowledged before. Add to this their deprivation of the light of the new faith and the darkness becomes complete. On the contrary, Islam is not only bringing new light to its adherents but is also bringing them success and happiness.

2:258; 14:2; 33:44; 57:10; 65:12.

Commentary:

The pronoun in یھدی به (thereby does Allah guide) may refer either to the "Book" or the "Light" spoken of in the previous verse. The use of the word سبل (paths) in the plural number indicates that just as there are diverse kinds of difficulties and obstacles that beset the path of a spiritual wayfarer, so God has also provided for him many means of deliverance and safe arrival at his destination. السلام (peace) being also one of the names of God (see 50:24), the words سبل السلام may mean, "the paths leading to God".

The clause, and guides them to the right path, is added to show that the God of Islam not only leads men out of darkness into light but also does so by the shortest and the straightest path, the word مستقیم (right) also meaning "straight". See 2:6.

6:151; 27:61.

Important Words:

جعل (brought into being) is sometimes used synonymously with خلق i.e. he created, but whereas خلق gives the sense of creating a thing after measuring and designing it, جعل signifies the making of a thing in a particular state or condition, or constituting or appointing it for a definite purpose (Lane).

Commentary:

The practice of attributing co-partners to God is based on two different theories. One class of people hold that God has delegated His powers to certain beings. Among the people of this class the most prominent are the Hindus. Another class of men who ascribe co-partners to God think that evil cannot proceed from God and, therefore, there must be some other source of evil. So they seek a separate god whom they look upon as a source of evil or of darkness. This class of people is represented by Zoroastrians, who believe in a spirit of evil or darkness called Ahriman, a deity regarded as the equal of the creator Ormuzd, the spirit of good or light. The verse refutes both these doctrines.

By saying, All praise belongs to Allah Who created the heavens and the earth, the Quran refutes the first-mentioned class of men. When God has created all things and when He Himself can do everything and to Him belongs all praise, what need is there for Him to entrust part of His work to other beings? One entrusts one’s work to others when one cannot do it single-handed or when one desires to pass one’s time in idleness, which is an act of dispraise. But God, being above all this, has no need of transferring His powers to other beings. These words also refute the Christian doctrine of Trinity; for if each of the three persons of Trinity is equally omnipotent and worthy of perfect praise, what need is there for the other two? On the contrary, if only all the three combined can do the work and none can do it singly, God cannot be considered to be worthy of all praise.

By saying, and brought into being darkness and light, the Quran refutes the second class of men. The words, All praise belongs to Allah, must be read with this part of the verse also, thus hinting that even "darkness," i.e. things which are generally looked upon as evil, such as death, disease, misery and affliction, are also things for which praise is due to God. In fact, every kind of "darkness" has its uses. Directly or indirectly, it is meant for the good of man and for his general advancement. Now when even apparently evil things are meant for the ultimate good of man, the natural conclusion would be that half of the things meant for the good of men are created by one god and the other half by another, which is simply absurd.

As for the good underlying apparently evil things, it may be hinted that the difficulties and troubles which beset man serve as a means of turning him to virtue, and of his attaining divine favours and bounties. Take death for instance. If a man should not die but should remain alive forever, he could not achieve the blessings of Heaven, which embody the most perfect favours of God. On the other hand, these favours cannot be given to man in this life; for, if they were given to him here, they would become apparent to all; in that case there would remain no veil and no secrecy and consequently there would remain no merit in faith. A person deserves credit for his faith only when there is some secrecy about the thing in which he is called upon to believe.

2:19,172; 27:81-82; 30:53-54.

8:25.

6:109; 10:13; 27:5.

Commentary:

In the foregoing verses it was pointed out that man-made teachings are always defective. Now, the Quran proceeds to show that man-made teachings cannot stand against Divine teachings.

The verse purports to put the question: "If there is a teaching which is really from God, will it not be better than that devised by man?" Now, this is a question which every man, even a disbeliever, will have to reply in the affirmative. Indeed, human reason cannot have the boldness to deny it. The question has thus been put to make disbelievers conscious of a great truth.

The expression, he is in utter darkness whence he cannot come forth, refers to the man who devises laws with the aid of reason alone— reason that is fettered by numberless limitations to which man is subject. The laws made by men are always subject to change owing to their intrinsic defectiveness. A law is made today but it has to be changed tomorrow on account of the defects which by experience are found in it. Then the new law is again changed for the same reason, and this process goes on indefinitely and sometimes even a sort of a circle comes into being. Thus the case of such men as devise their laws with the aid of human reason alone is like one who is in darkness from which he will never come out.

The words, made to seem fair, imply that Satan and his associates adorn the evil doings of men. In the beginning it is Satan who misleads men by inciting them to evil. But when a man goes on doing evil deeds, his evil deeds gradually begin to appear good to him. This is the law of God meant as a punishment. It is to this later adornment of deeds under the law of God that the Quran refers in 6:109 above.

10:2; 11:2; 12:2; 13:2; 15:2.

2:258; 5:17; 14:6; 65:12.

Commentary:

For an explanation of the abbreviated letters Alif Lam Ra, see 2:2. & 10:2.

This verse represents the Quran as a "torch" by means of which the Holy Prophet led men from darkness into "light," which is "the path of the Mighty, the Praiseworthy."

Commentators differ as to what is meant by "light." In popular parlance, students of modern philosophy or sciences or those who follow no revealed Law or, for that matter, know no religion, are spoken of by some as "men of light." Christians look upon their own religion as the source of all light, while according to Hindus their religion alone is light and all else is darkness. For the followers of Islam it is their faith which, of all religious systems, deserves to be called by this name. The verse under comment lays down a sure criterion by which true "light" may be judged and tested. According to it "light" means "coming out of darkness and attaining nearness to God," so only those who, betake themselves to Him may be said to have received the "light."

The verse mentions two attributes of God, "the Mighty" and "the Praiseworthy." The attribute, "the Mighty," pertains to outward light, while "the Praiseworthy" refers to inward light. He who develops in himself the first attribute is enabled to overcome his external enemies and become safe from physical afflictions, privations and hardships, while he who develops the second attribute overpowers his inward enemy, Satan, and gets rid of the darkness of doubts, misgivings, evil suggestions and ignorance. The Arabs were delivered from both these kinds of darkness through the Holy Prophet. They were not only revived into a new life but superstition, ignorance, idolatry and moral depravity also took leave of them. Through the Holy Prophet they became not only the temporal rulers, but also the moral and spiritual teachers of the world.

14:2.

Commentary:

The example of Moses has been mentioned here to show that, the Holy Prophet being like him, his opponents shall come to grief like the enemies of Moses. The Prophet’s enemies are thus warned that, while denying him, they should not forget the case of Moses and his enemies.

By the words, the days of Allah, are meant the days when God assisted believers against their enemies; also the days when He punished the enemies of the Prophets for their evil deeds. The verse means that the right way to bring men from darkness into light is to draw their attention to both the favours of God and His punishments. It is not at all right to think that faith based on fear lacks elements of reality. Such a view, indeed, betrays ignorance of human nature. Many people refrain from evil only due to the fear of punishment. If the incentive of fear were altogether dispensed with, nothing could wean such people from their evil ways. The Quran, being a perfect book, has provided guidance for men of all sorts of dispositions and temperaments and has made use of the incentives both of love and of fear.

In the words, Surely, therein are Signs for every patient and thankful person, Muslims are warned that, like the followers of Moses, they will have to pass through trials and tribulations and it is only when they have patiently borne the ordeal and come out of it with untarnished faith and sincerity that they will inherit the favours of God. But if, like the people of Moses, they prove ungrateful to God, they will be visited with punishment.

37:140-141; 68:49.

37:144.

Important Words:

ظالمین (wrongdoers) is the plural of ظالم which is derived from ظلم which means, he put a thing in the wrong place or in a place not its own; he made one suffer loss; he committed a wrong; it became dark. ظلمه means, he imposed upon him a thing which was beyond his power or ability. ظلمات is plural of ظلمة which means, darkness; error or ignorance; affliction, hardship, distress or danger. ظلم which means transgression or wrong is said to be of three kinds i.e. between God and man; between man and man, and between man and his own self. Every one of these three kinds of ظلم constitutes a wrong done to oneself (Lane, Aqrab, Raghib & Taj). See also 2:18. The word ظلم and its derivatives, as used in five daily Prayers, commonly fall under the third category. Thus when a supplicant uses the word with regard to himself in Prayer, he only means that he has done something which has brought trouble or distress upon him or which has exposed him to danger; it does not necessarily mean that he has committed a sin. It is in this sense that this word has been used in the verse under comment and it is in this sense that Moses used the expression انی ظلمت نفسی i.e. I have wronged my soul (28:17).

Commentary:

ذوالنون (Dhun-Nun) literally meaning "the man of the fish" is the name of the Prophet Jonah or as he is called Yunus in the Quran (10:99). He has also been called صاحب الحوت (Companion of the Fish) in the Quran (68:49).

The verse does not specify the cause of Jonah’s anger. It must be the obstinate refusal of his people to accept his message because for a prophet to become angry with God is inconceivable. The Elect of God do not even speak nor do they act until God commands them to do so (21:28). Most of the English translators of the Quran have translated the words لن نقدر علیه as "We had no power over him. "Of this rendering the author of the Lisan says: "none will interpret it in this way except one who is ignorant of the Arabic language and the meanings of its words. "According to this lexicon the expression means: 'We will not straiten him' or 'We will not decree against him any distress.' Lane also agrees with Lisan in this respect. The word قدر has also been used in this sense elsewhere in the Quran. See 17:31; 28:83; & 65:8. For a fuller account of the Prophet Jonah see 10:99.

2:258; 14:6; 57:10; 65:12.

Commentary:

The Surah under comment primarily deals with the domestic life of the Holy Prophet and tells us, how it was not only pure and beyond reproach but was an ideal and exemplary one. The present and the next few verses serve as a prelude to the real subject of marriage and divorce in relation to the Prophet, which begins with v. 50 below. The marriages of the Holy Prophet have been subjected to much mean and vile criticism. To this a somewhat detailed reference has already been made (33:38). The present verse, however, means to say that that great and noble Prophet who brought about such a wonderful revolution in the lives of his people and "brought them forth from darkness into light" could not be the type of man his traducers vainly try to depict him.

The words یصلی علیکم when used about God mean, "He sends down blessings upon you," but when used about the angels or the believers they mean, "they pray for you."

22:17; 24:35; 58:6.

14:6; 33:44; 65:12.