يَلْقَ

Commentary:

The verse points to the great truth that sometimes one sin follows another as a natural consequence thereof. Hypocrisy took the place of faith in the hearts of those who did not keep the promise they had made with God. See also the preceding two verses.

45:29; 83:7-10.

Important Words:

طائرہ (his works). طائر is derived from طار which means, it (a bird) moved in the air by means of its wings; it flew. طار فؤادہmeans, his courage fled away. The Arabs used to say to a man from whom they augured evil, طائر اللّٰه لا طائرک i.e. what God doth and decreeth, not what thou dost and causest, is to be feared. Or they would say لا طیر الا طیر اللّٰه i.e. there is no evil fortune but that which is of God. طائر means, an omen, a bodement of good or evil; good or evil fortune, especially evil fortune; ill-luck; the means of subsistence; the actions or works of a man which are, as it were, attached as a necklace to his neck (Lane & Aqrab). See also 7:132.

Commentary:

The words, every man’s works have We fastened to his neck, mean that no work of man goes in vain; every action of his must bear some fruit, good or bad. The fastening of the work to the neck of a man denotes that his actions will stick to him permanently and their effects will cling to him as long as he lives.

The word طائر (lit. bird) has been very appropriately used here for the actions of man in order to denote that just as a bird flies away and becomes hidden from the eye, so does a man very often seem to forget his actions, but they remain fastened to his neck with a cord like a bird which is secured from flying away by a string tied round its neck; and therefore, even if they seem to fly away and become hidden from his view, man’s connection with them never ceases and one day he has to reap the fruits thereof.

The word طائر has also been used to draw attention to the fact that if a long string were tied to the leg of a bird and it were let off to fly away, it can fly to the extreme length of the string. The same is the case with the actions of man. Sometimes they appear to be of little significance, yet their effects are far-reaching and permanent.

The verse warns man to be very careful about his actions. He is reminded that since a deed once done cannot be undone and has far-reaching effects and, even if hidden from the human eye, still remains attached to the doer’s neck, it is clear that it is impossible to obliterate it. We should therefore be on our guard against hasty and careless actions, because sooner or later we are bound to reap their consequences. The Quran says, Whoso does good an atom’s weight will see it, and whoso does evil an atom’s weight will also see it (99:8, 9). These verses, however, should not be understood to mean that repentance is denied to man. The door of repentance is always open but man’s moral and spiritual lapses, even though they may be forgiven, leave a more or less lasting imprint on his spiritual progress. He lags behind those who are not guilty of such lapses unless he makes a special effort to make up the deficiency. The effects of sins must linger on. The discovery of ethereal waves has confirmed the great truth enunciated about 1,400 years ago by Islam that even the smallest motion causes a stir in the air which goes on enlarging and widening. So we should be very careful about our actions because every deed like a seed grows into a big tree without our knowing it.

The verse may also be taken to mean that man augurs good or evil from outside things while his good or bad augury is inseparably linked to his own neck. The words, fastened to his neck, have been used deliberately and with a purpose. When a man does a good deed, he raises his head with pride while with the commission of an evil one he hangs his head in shame. So the word 'neck' has been used here to bring home to him the fact that he himself is his own judge. If he feels that he can raise his head with pride before his associates and friends, he should conclude that he is on the right path but if his head hangs in shame, he must know that he is going to rack and ruin.

The words, which he will find wide open, mean that the effect of man’s deeds will begin to manifest itself. It will not remain only like a seed but will grow and develop into a big tree and later bear fruit.

7:170.

Important Words:

غیاً (destruction) is derived from غوی which means, he erred; he deviated from the right way or course; he persisted in ignorance, he failed in attaining his desire; he acted ignorantly from misbelief; he perished (Lane & Aqrab). See also 7:17.

Commentary:

In fact negligence and remissness in observing prayers makes a person ignorant of Divine attributes and kills in him the desire to establish his connection with the Creator which in turn throws him into the clutches of the Devil. And whereas negligence in invoking Divine mercy and praying to God leads to failure, the pursuit of evil desires results in apathy towards true knowledge and indulgence in obscenities and idle pursuits; and all these things combined together bring about complete moral and spiritual ruin.

6:152; 17:33, 34.

Important Words:

أثاماً (punishment of sin) is infinitive noun from أثم which means, he fell into or committed a sin or crime: he did what was unlawful. أثام means, the requital or recompense of a sin or crime or punishment thereof (Lane).

Commentary:

The verse deals with the three basic sins, i.e. idolatry, murder and adultery, the fountainheads of individual depravity and social and sexual immorality. The Quran has reverted to these three sins again and again.

10:11; 36:59.