Topic: No God But He, (La Ilaha Illallah)
View Aspects
وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
2:256; 16:23; 22:35; 37:5; 59:23, 24; 112:2.
As all sins spring from feebleness of faith, this verse fittingly refers to the Oneness of God, signifying that if people only believed in Divine Unity and refrained from setting up false gods, they would never deviate from the right path.
2:256; 16:23; 22:35; 37:5; 59:23, 24; 112:2.
Commentary:
As all sin springs from feebleness of faith, this verse fittingly refers to the Unity of God, signifying that if people only believed in God’s Unity and refrained from setting up false gods, they would never digress from the right path. It must not, however, be understood that idol-worship consists in worshipping images only. Every man who loves anyone other than God as he ought to love Him, or fears anyone as he ought to fear Him, or trusts in anyone as he ought to trust in Him, is really guilty of idol-worship and must suffer the consequences thereof. In fact, the principal and primary object of religion, is to establish the Unity of God, and the Quran has dealt with this subject in a manner and to an extent which has no parallel in any other Book. Islam condemns both شرك جلی (manifest or visible idolatry) and شرك خفی (hidden or invisible idolatry) in the strongest of terms.
The verse may also signify that, with the advent of Islam, God, the Maker of heavens and earth, no longer remains the God of this or that people only, but becomes the God of all peoples and all mankind. The word الرحمن (the Gracious or the Provider for all peoples) occurring at the end of the verse also points to the same truth. In this sense the verse would be considered to be particularly connected with 2:159 above which speaks of the Safa and the Marwah as the special Signs of Allah, serving as pointers to the mission of the Holy Prophet of Islam.
e
2:256; 16:23; 22:35; 37:5; 59:23, 24; 112:2.
108
由于一切罪恶来自信仰不强, 本节经文合适地提出了安拉的独一性, 意思是, 如果人们只相信安拉的独一性而制止树立那些假神, 他们就绝不会偏离正道。
b
2:256; 16:23; 22:35; 37:5; 59:23, 24; 112:2.
170
Commentary:
As all sin springs from feebleness of faith, this verse fittingly refers to the Unity of God, signifying that if people only believed in God’s Unity and refrained from setting up false gods, they would never digress from the right path. It must not, however, be understood that idol-worship consists in worshipping images only. Every man who loves anyone other than God as he ought to love Him, or fears anyone as he ought to fear Him, or trusts in anyone as he ought to trust in Him, is really guilty of idol-worship and must suffer the consequences thereof. In fact, the principal and primary object of religion, is to establish the Unity of God, and the Quran has dealt with this subject in a manner and to an extent which has no parallel in any other Book. Islam condemns both شرك جلی (manifest or visible idolatry) and شرك خفی (hidden or invisible idolatry) in the strongest of terms.
The verse may also signify that, with the advent of Islam, God, the Maker of heavens and earth, no longer remains the God of this or that people only, but becomes the God of all peoples and all mankind. The word الرحمن (the Gracious or the Provider for all peoples) occurring at the end of the verse also points to the same truth. In this sense the verse would be considered to be particularly connected with 2:159 above which speaks of the Safa and the Marwah as the special Signs of Allah, serving as pointers to the mission of the Holy Prophet of Islam.
d
2:256; 16:23; 22:35; 37:5; 59:23, 24; 112:2.
187
As all sins spring from feebleness of faith, this verse fittingly refers to the Oneness of God, signifying that if people only believed in Divine Unity and refrained from setting up false gods, they would never deviate from the right path.
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
3:3; 20:112; 25:59.
2:49.
20:111.
كُرْسِی (Kursiy) 的意思是, 帝位, 宝座, 椅子, 墙的支柱; 知识; 统治权和权力 (اَقْرَبْ, Aqrab)。كَرَاسِی (Karasi) 是复数, 意思是学问高深的人。这节经文优美地描写了安拉的独一性和其伟大的常德。传说穆圣曾经说过, اٰيَةُ الْكُرْسِی (Ayatul-Kursiy) 帝位节, 是 «古兰经» 中最高超的一节经文 (穆斯林)。
اَلْحَیُّ کامل حیات والا۔ اللہ تعالیٰ کے لئے جب اَلْحَیُّ آتا ہے تو الف لام کمال کے معنے دیتا ہے اور اس کے معنے یہ ہوتے ہیں کہ اللہ تعالیٰ حیات کاملہ رکھتا ہے یعنی ایسی حیات جو اپنے قیام میں کسی اور کی محتاج نہیں۔ اسے کسی اور نے زندگی نہیں بخشی بلکہ اس کی ذات ازلی اور ابدی طور پر زندہ ہے۔ اَلْقَیُّوْمُ: قَامَ سے نکلا ہے جس کے معنے کھڑے ہونے کے ہیں۔ اسی سے قَیِّمٌ نکلا ہے جس کے معنے نگران اور مُتوَلّی کے ہیں اور قَـیِّمٌ۔ مُسْتَقِیْمٌ کو بھی کہتے ہیں۔ ’’اَمْرٌقَـیِّمٌ‘‘ ایسا امر جس میں کوئی کجی نہیں بلکہ درست اور ٹھیک ہے۔ اَلْقَ
اردو میں اس موقعہ پر حرف عطف استعمال نہیں کرتے اس لئے نیند کے بعد ایک اور جملہ رکھ کر ترجمہ کو صحیح کیا گیا ہے۔
اَلْکُرْسِیُّ۔ کِرْسٌ سے نکلا ہے جس کے معنے متفرق اجزا کے اکٹھا ہونے کے ہوتے ہیں۔ کہتے ہیں کَرَسْتُ بِنَاءً میں نے عمارت بنائی۔ یعنی اینٹوں پر اینٹیں رکھیں اور کُرْسِیٌّ علم کو بھی کہتے ہیں اور حکومت کو بھی (مفردات) اس لفظ کی اصل سے معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ اصل میں اس کے معنے جمع کرنے اور اکٹھا کرنے کے ہیں اور چونکہ علم بھی پراگندہ معلومات کو جمع کر لیتا ہے اور حکومت ملک کے پراگندہ اجزا کو جمع کر لیتی ہے اس لئے اسے بھی کرسی کہتے ہیں۔
اٰدَہٗ یَئُوْدُہٗ اَوْداً کے معنے ہیں۔ اَضْنَکَہٗ وَ ثَقْلَ عَلَیْہِ (اقرب) یعنی اسے تھکا دیا اور اس پر بوجھ معلوم ہوا۔
اَلْعَلِیُّ۔ عَلِیٌّ کے معنے ہیں بلند شان والا۔ بزرگی کا مالک (اقرب) عَلِیٌّ کا مادہ عَلَا یَعْلُوْ عُلْوًا بھی ہے اور عَلِیَ یَعْلیٰ عَلَا ءً بھی ہے مگر محققین کے نزدیک عَلاَ یَعْلُوْ سے عالی کا لفظ اسم فاعل کے طور پر آتا ہے اور عَلِیَ یَعْلیٰ سے عَلِیٌّ استعمال ہوتا ہے۔ عَلَا یَعْلُوْ بُرے اور بَھلے دونوں فعلوں کے لئے آ جاتا ہے جیسے قرآن کریم میں ہے کہ اِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِی الْاَرْضِ (القصص: ۵) لیکن عَلِیَ یَعْلٰی صرف اچھے معنوں میں آتا ہے اور عَلِیٌّ جو اللہ کا نام ہے وہ اسی مادہ سے ہے پس اس کے ہمیشہ اچھے معن
3:3; 20:112; 25:59.
See 2:49.
20:111.
Kursiyy means, a throne, a chair, buttress of a wall; knowledge; dominion and power (Aqrab); Karasi is plural, meaning, men of learning. The verse beautifully describes the Unity of God and His great attributes. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that Ayatul-Kursiyy is the loftiest verse of the Qur’an (Muslim).
3:3; 20:112; 25:59.
See 2:49.
20:111.
Important Words:
الحی (the Living), of which the verb form is حیی i.e. he lived or he had life, is an attribute of God, signifying that God is the only Being Who is deathless and lives by Himself—He needs no support, He is eternal and everlasting (Mufradat & Lane). This is "life" in the truest sense of the word, and such life is enjoyed by God alone.
القیوم (Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining) is another attribute of God. The word is derived from قام i.e. he stood erect. القیوم means, the Being Who not only stands by Himself, requiring the support of none, but Who supports all others (Mufradat & Aqrab).
سنة (slumber) is the noun-infinitive from وسن i.e. sleep or slumber took hold of him. سنة means, heaviness of limbs and eyes preceding sleep; sleep or slumber itself; negligence or unguardedness (Aqrab)
کرسی (knowledge) is derived from کرس. They say کرس البناء i.e. he raised the walls of a house. کرسی means, a throne or a chair or a stool, in fact, anything used for sitting on; buttress of a wall; knowledge; dominion and power. Hence, الکراسیmeans, men of learning (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
This verse is known as آیة الکرسی (Ayatul-Kursi) and is considered to be one of the most important verses, beautifully describing the Unity of God and His great attributes. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that the Ayatul-Kursi is the loftiest verse in the Quran (Muslim). The verse supplies an answer to an implied question. Even if Muslims made the sacrifices required of them in 2:255, the task before them was so great that, based on worldly calculations, there appeared no hope of success for them. How then is the promised victory to come? The verse under comment provides a telling answer. The world was not without a Master. The destinies of its people were controlled by a Being Whose power was limitless, Whose knowledge knew no bounds, Who was ever vigilant, ever watchful, in Whose hands were the entire resources of the earth and the heavens. If such a Being willed the triumph of a party, who was there to thwart His way? The promised victory must come.
For a detailed treatment of the subject of intercession see note on 2:49. The reason why no one shall be allowed to intercede for any person except with the permission of God is that nobody knows what is in the minds of men and consequently none is in a position to intercede for another. God alone knows the secrets of men’s hearts and hence there can be no intercession except by His permission, for He alone knows who is deserving of it.
The clause, they encompass nothing of His knowledge, means that God’s knowledge is unlimited; while the knowledge of others, whoever they may be, is limited; even Prophets know no more than what is apparent of the spiritual condition of their followers.
The word کرسی (knowledge) may signify either knowledge or power; both give equally good meanings and are almost equally applicable. Allah’s knowledge is as extensive as His power. Knowledge and power are indeed the two great pillars on which the throne of God and, for that matter, the controlling power of everyone in authority rests.
d
3:3; 20:112; 25:59.
e
2:49.
f
20:111.
196
كُرْسِی (Kursiy) 的意思是, 帝位, 宝座, 椅子, 墙的支柱; 知识; 统治权和权力 (اَقْرَبْ, Aqrab)。كَرَاسِی (Karasi) 是复数, 意思是学问高深的人。这节经文优美地描写了安拉的独一性和其伟大的常德。传说穆圣曾经说过, اٰيَةُ الْكُرْسِی (Ayatul-Kursiy) 帝位节, 是 «古兰经» 中最高超的一节经文 (穆斯林)。
1
اَلْحَیُّ کامل حیات والا۔ اللہ تعالیٰ کے لئے جب اَلْحَیُّ آتا ہے تو الف لام کمال کے معنے دیتا ہے اور اس کے معنے یہ ہوتے ہیں کہ اللہ تعالیٰ حیات کاملہ رکھتا ہے یعنی ایسی حیات جو اپنے قیام میں کسی اور کی محتاج نہیں۔ اسے کسی اور نے زندگی نہیں بخشی بلکہ اس کی ذات ازلی اور ابدی طور پر زندہ ہے۔ اَلْقَیُّوْمُ: قَامَ سے نکلا ہے جس کے معنے کھڑے ہونے کے ہیں۔ اسی سے قَیِّمٌ نکلا ہے جس کے معنے نگران اور مُتوَلّی کے ہیں اور قَـیِّمٌ۔ مُسْتَقِیْمٌ کو بھی کہتے ہیں۔ ’’اَمْرٌقَـیِّمٌ‘‘ ایسا امر جس میں کوئی کجی نہیں بلکہ درست اور ٹھیک ہے۔ اَلْقَ
2
اردو میں اس موقعہ پر حرف عطف استعمال نہیں کرتے اس لئے نیند کے بعد ایک اور جملہ رکھ کر ترجمہ کو صحیح کیا گیا ہے۔
3
اَلْکُرْسِیُّ۔ کِرْسٌ سے نکلا ہے جس کے معنے متفرق اجزا کے اکٹھا ہونے کے ہوتے ہیں۔ کہتے ہیں کَرَسْتُ بِنَاءً میں نے عمارت بنائی۔ یعنی اینٹوں پر اینٹیں رکھیں اور کُرْسِیٌّ علم کو بھی کہتے ہیں اور حکومت کو بھی (مفردات) اس لفظ کی اصل سے معلوم ہوتا ہے کہ اصل میں اس کے معنے جمع کرنے اور اکٹھا کرنے کے ہیں اور چونکہ علم بھی پراگندہ معلومات کو جمع کر لیتا ہے اور حکومت ملک کے پراگندہ اجزا کو جمع کر لیتی ہے اس لئے اسے بھی کرسی کہتے ہیں۔
4
اٰدَہٗ یَئُوْدُہٗ اَوْداً کے معنے ہیں۔ اَضْنَکَہٗ وَ ثَقْلَ عَلَیْہِ (اقرب) یعنی اسے تھکا دیا اور اس پر بوجھ معلوم ہوا۔
5
اَلْعَلِیُّ۔ عَلِیٌّ کے معنے ہیں بلند شان والا۔ بزرگی کا مالک (اقرب) عَلِیٌّ کا مادہ عَلَا یَعْلُوْ عُلْوًا بھی ہے اور عَلِیَ یَعْلیٰ عَلَا ءً بھی ہے مگر محققین کے نزدیک عَلاَ یَعْلُوْ سے عالی کا لفظ اسم فاعل کے طور پر آتا ہے اور عَلِیَ یَعْلیٰ سے عَلِیٌّ استعمال ہوتا ہے۔ عَلَا یَعْلُوْ بُرے اور بَھلے دونوں فعلوں کے لئے آ جاتا ہے جیسے قرآن کریم میں ہے کہ اِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِی الْاَرْضِ (القصص: ۵) لیکن عَلِیَ یَعْلٰی صرف اچھے معنوں میں آتا ہے اور عَلِیٌّ جو اللہ کا نام ہے وہ اسی مادہ سے ہے پس اس کے ہمیشہ اچھے معن
a
3:3; 20:112; 25:59.
b
See 2:49.
c
20:111.
262
Important Words:
الحی (the Living), of which the verb form is حیی i.e. he lived or he had life, is an attribute of God, signifying that God is the only Being Who is deathless and lives by Himself—He needs no support, He is eternal and everlasting (Mufradat & Lane). This is "life" in the truest sense of the word, and such life is enjoyed by God alone.
القیوم (Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining) is another attribute of God. The word is derived from قام i.e. he stood erect. القیوم means, the Being Who not only stands by Himself, requiring the support of none, but Who supports all others (Mufradat & Aqrab).
سنة (slumber) is the noun-infinitive from وسن i.e. sleep or slumber took hold of him. سنة means, heaviness of limbs and eyes preceding sleep; sleep or slumber itself; negligence or unguardedness (Aqrab)
کرسی (knowledge) is derived from کرس. They say کرس البناء i.e. he raised the walls of a house. کرسی means, a throne or a chair or a stool, in fact, anything used for sitting on; buttress of a wall; knowledge; dominion and power. Hence, الکراسیmeans, men of learning (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
This verse is known as آیة الکرسی (Ayatul-Kursi) and is considered to be one of the most important verses, beautifully describing the Unity of God and His great attributes. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that the Ayatul-Kursi is the loftiest verse in the Quran (Muslim). The verse supplies an answer to an implied question. Even if Muslims made the sacrifices required of them in 2:255, the task before them was so great that, based on worldly calculations, there appeared no hope of success for them. How then is the promised victory to come? The verse under comment provides a telling answer. The world was not without a Master. The destinies of its people were controlled by a Being Whose power was limitless, Whose knowledge knew no bounds, Who was ever vigilant, ever watchful, in Whose hands were the entire resources of the earth and the heavens. If such a Being willed the triumph of a party, who was there to thwart His way? The promised victory must come.
For a detailed treatment of the subject of intercession see note on 2:49. The reason why no one shall be allowed to intercede for any person except with the permission of God is that nobody knows what is in the minds of men and consequently none is in a position to intercede for another. God alone knows the secrets of men’s hearts and hence there can be no intercession except by His permission, for He alone knows who is deserving of it.
The clause, they encompass nothing of His knowledge, means that God’s knowledge is unlimited; while the knowledge of others, whoever they may be, is limited; even Prophets know no more than what is apparent of the spiritual condition of their followers.
The word کرسی (knowledge) may signify either knowledge or power; both give equally good meanings and are almost equally applicable. Allah’s knowledge is as extensive as His power. Knowledge and power are indeed the two great pillars on which the throne of God and, for that matter, the controlling power of everyone in authority rests.
c
3:3; 20:112; 25:59.
d
See 2:49.
e
20:111.
318
Kursiyy means, a throne, a chair, buttress of a wall; knowledge; dominion and power (Aqrab); Karasi is plural, meaning, men of learning. The verse beautifully describes the Unity of God and His great attributes. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that Ayatul-Kursiyy is the loftiest verse of the Qur’an (Muslim).
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ
2:256.
See 2:256.
The verse contains a strong refutation of the false doctrine of the divinity of Jesus. This doctrine being one of the principal topics dealt with in this Surah, the opening verses thereof fittingly refer to such attributes of God as cut at the very root of this doctrine. These attributes, i.e. the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining, prove, on the one hand, that God, the Possessor of these attributes, should need no partner or helper; and on the other that Jesus, who was subject to the law of birth and death, and therefore was neither ever-living, nor self-subsisting and all-sustaining, could not be God. These attributes also prove the hollowness of the doctrine of Atonement which is a corollary to the above doctrine. Jesus, it is claimed by Christians, suffered death to atone for the sins of mankind. If that is so, he could not be God, for God is Ever-Living and cannot suffer death, permanent or temporary. It is futile to say that the death of Jesus meant only the separation of the
See 2:256.
For the meaning of الحی and القیوم see 2:256.
Commentary:
The verse contains a strong refutation of the divinity of Jesus. This doctrine being one of the main topics dealt with in this chapter, the Surah fittingly opens with such attributes of God as cut at the very root of this doctrine. These attributes, i.e. (1) the Living or the Ever-Living, and (2) the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining, prove on the one hand that God, the possessor of these attributes, should need no partner or helper; and on the other that Jesus, who was subject to the law of birth and death, being thus neither ever-living nor self-subsisting and all-sustaining, could not be divine.
These attributes also prove the hollowness of the doctrine of Atonement which is a corollary of the above doctrine. Jesus, it is said, suffered death to atone for the sins of mankind. If that is so, he could not be God, for God is Ever-Living and cannot suffer death, permanent or temporary. It is futile to say that the death of Jesus meant only the separation of the god-Jesus from his physical habitat. The connection between the god-Jesus and his physical body was, according to Christian belief, in its very nature, a temporary one and was bound to break one day, even if Jesus had not died on the cross. So the mere breaking up of this connection could serve no useful purpose. It must be some other death which brought redemption to his sinful followers. That death, according to the Christians themselves, came upon Jesus when after his crucifixion he descended into Hades or Hell (Acts 2:31 and the Book of Common Prayer, Article on Religion, III). Thus, far from being immune from death, which is God’s exclusive prerogative, Jesus suffered death both in its literal and figurative sense. He not only died but descended into Hades. Again he not only suffered from grief and pain but also disgrace and humiliation.
Similarly, the attribute of القیوم (the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining) proves the falsity of the Christian doctrine. God, being Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining, should not only live by Himself without the support of any other being but all others should receive support from Him. But Jesus can never be proved to possess these attributes. Like other mortals, he was born of a woman, lived on food and drink, suffered pain and humiliation, asked others to pray for the alleviation of his sufferings, and finally, as the Christians say, died on the cross. The New Testament bears ample testimony to all these facts. But God being Ever-Living, Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining is above all this.
c
2:256.
c
See 2:256.
294
For the meaning of الحی and القیوم see 2:256.
Commentary:
The verse contains a strong refutation of the divinity of Jesus. This doctrine being one of the main topics dealt with in this chapter, the Surah fittingly opens with such attributes of God as cut at the very root of this doctrine. These attributes, i.e. (1) the Living or the Ever-Living, and (2) the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining, prove on the one hand that God, the possessor of these attributes, should need no partner or helper; and on the other that Jesus, who was subject to the law of birth and death, being thus neither ever-living nor self-subsisting and all-sustaining, could not be divine.
These attributes also prove the hollowness of the doctrine of Atonement which is a corollary of the above doctrine. Jesus, it is said, suffered death to atone for the sins of mankind. If that is so, he could not be God, for God is Ever-Living and cannot suffer death, permanent or temporary. It is futile to say that the death of Jesus meant only the separation of the god-Jesus from his physical habitat. The connection between the god-Jesus and his physical body was, according to Christian belief, in its very nature, a temporary one and was bound to break one day, even if Jesus had not died on the cross. So the mere breaking up of this connection could serve no useful purpose. It must be some other death which brought redemption to his sinful followers. That death, according to the Christians themselves, came upon Jesus when after his crucifixion he descended into Hades or Hell (Acts 2:31 and the Book of Common Prayer, Article on Religion, III). Thus, far from being immune from death, which is God’s exclusive prerogative, Jesus suffered death both in its literal and figurative sense. He not only died but descended into Hades. Again he not only suffered from grief and pain but also disgrace and humiliation.
Similarly, the attribute of القیوم (the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining) proves the falsity of the Christian doctrine. God, being Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining, should not only live by Himself without the support of any other being but all others should receive support from Him. But Jesus can never be proved to possess these attributes. Like other mortals, he was born of a woman, lived on food and drink, suffered pain and humiliation, asked others to pray for the alleviation of his sufferings, and finally, as the Christians say, died on the cross. The New Testament bears ample testimony to all these facts. But God being Ever-Living, Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining is above all this.
c
See 2:256.
363
The verse contains a strong refutation of the false doctrine of the divinity of Jesus. This doctrine being one of the principal topics dealt with in this Surah, the opening verses thereof fittingly refer to such attributes of God as cut at the very root of this doctrine. These attributes, i.e. the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining, prove, on the one hand, that God, the Possessor of these attributes, should need no partner or helper; and on the other that Jesus, who was subject to the law of birth and death, and therefore was neither ever-living, nor self-subsisting and all-sustaining, could not be God. These attributes also prove the hollowness of the doctrine of Atonement which is a corollary to the above doctrine. Jesus, it is claimed by Christians, suffered death to atone for the sins of mankind. If that is so, he could not be God, for God is Ever-Living and cannot suffer death, permanent or temporary. It is futile to say that the death of Jesus meant only the separation of the
شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمِ قَآئِمًۢا بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
5:9; 7:30.
5:9; 7:30.
The words also mean, in accordance with justice.
The one central and indisputable fact in nature and the basic principle of every true religion is Divine Unity. The whole creation and the consummate order pervading it bear undeniable testimony to this fundamental fact. The angels who are the bearers of the Message of truth to the Prophets, the Messengers of God, who propagate it in the world, and those good people who receive and imbibe true knowledge from God’s Messengers, all add their testimony to the Divine testimony. Similarly, all are united in testifying to the falsehood of the idea of setting up gods with Allah, be it in the form of plurality, trinity, or duality of gods.
5:9; 7:30.
Commentary:
The one central and indisputable fact in nature and the basic principle of every true religion is the Unity of God. The whole creation and the consummate order pervading it bear an undeniable testimony to this fundamental truth. The angels who are the bearers of the message of truth to the Prophets, the Messengers of God who propagate it in the world, and those good people who receive and imbibe true knowledge from God’s Messengers, all add their testimony to the testimony of God. Similarly, all are united in testifying to the falsehood of the idea of setting up gods with God, be it in the form of plurality, trinity, or duality of gods. All true testimony must point and does point to the Oneness of the Creator.
d
5:9; 7:30.
a
5:9; 7:30.
310
Commentary:
The one central and indisputable fact in nature and the basic principle of every true religion is the Unity of God. The whole creation and the consummate order pervading it bear an undeniable testimony to this fundamental truth. The angels who are the bearers of the message of truth to the Prophets, the Messengers of God who propagate it in the world, and those good people who receive and imbibe true knowledge from God’s Messengers, all add their testimony to the testimony of God. Similarly, all are united in testifying to the falsehood of the idea of setting up gods with God, be it in the form of plurality, trinity, or duality of gods. All true testimony must point and does point to the Oneness of the Creator.
a
5:9; 7:30.
381A
The words also mean, in accordance with justice.
382
The one central and indisputable fact in nature and the basic principle of every true religion is Divine Unity. The whole creation and the consummate order pervading it bear undeniable testimony to this fundamental fact. The angels who are the bearers of the Message of truth to the Prophets, the Messengers of God, who propagate it in the world, and those good people who receive and imbibe true knowledge from God’s Messengers, all add their testimony to the Divine testimony. Similarly, all are united in testifying to the falsehood of the idea of setting up gods with Allah, be it in the form of plurality, trinity, or duality of gods.
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْقَصَصُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۚ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
عربی میں ایک اِنَّ کا حرف ہے اور ایک لام ہے۔ دونوں تاکید کے لئے ہیں۔ ہم نے ایک حرف کا ترجمہ یقیناً کر دیا ہے اور دوسرے کا ’’یہی۔‘‘ اس سے ترجمہ لفظی ہو جاتا ہے۔
Important Words:
القصص (account) is the noun-infinitive from قص. They say قص الشعر i.e. he cut or clipped the hair. قص علیه الخبر means, he related or narrated the news to him. قص اثرہ means, he followed after his track, or he followed him step by step. قصص (qisas) means, the act of narrating; narration or account; track or footsteps. قصص (qisas) with different vowel point, is the plural of قصةmeaning, a story, a narrative, etc. (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
This verse partially repeats the sense of verse 3:61 above in order to impress upon the reader that the discomfiture of the Christian deputation in the challenge of مباھلة mentioned in 3:62 sets the seal upon the conclusion that Islam has truly triumphed over Christianity, and that there is no god but Allah Who, being "Mighty and Wise", needs no son or helper.
As stated in the verse, the facts narrated in the above verses constitute "the true account" about Jesus and not impossible things which his followers out of excessive love, or his enemies out of inveterate hatred, have attributed to him.
3
عربی میں ایک اِنَّ کا حرف ہے اور ایک لام ہے۔ دونوں تاکید کے لئے ہیں۔ ہم نے ایک حرف کا ترجمہ یقیناً کر دیا ہے اور دوسرے کا ’’یہی۔‘‘ اس سے ترجمہ لفظی ہو جاتا ہے۔
351
Important Words:
القصص (account) is the noun-infinitive from قص. They say قص الشعر i.e. he cut or clipped the hair. قص علیه الخبر means, he related or narrated the news to him. قص اثرہ means, he followed after his track, or he followed him step by step. قصص (qisas) means, the act of narrating; narration or account; track or footsteps. قصص (qisas) with different vowel point, is the plural of قصةmeaning, a story, a narrative, etc. (Aqrab & Lane).
Commentary:
This verse partially repeats the sense of verse 3:61 above in order to impress upon the reader that the discomfiture of the Christian deputation in the challenge of مباھلة mentioned in 3:62 sets the seal upon the conclusion that Islam has truly triumphed over Christianity, and that there is no god but Allah Who, being "Mighty and Wise", needs no son or helper.
As stated in the verse, the facts narrated in the above verses constitute "the true account" about Jesus and not impossible things which his followers out of excessive love, or his enemies out of inveterate hatred, have attributed to him.
قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ تَعَالَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍۭ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِۦ شَيْـًٔا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَقُولُوا۟ ٱشْهَدُوا۟ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ
9:31.
’’کم سے کم‘‘ کسی لفظ کا ترجمہ نہیں بلکہ عبارت کا مفہوم ہے۔
9:31.
This verse is wrongly considered by some to provide a basis for a compromise between Islam on the one hand and Christianity and Judaism on the other. It is argued that if these religions also teach and inculcate the doctrine of Divine Unity, then other Islamic teachings supposed to be of comparatively little importance could safely be left alone. It is unthinkable that the idea of compromise in matters of faith could ever have been encouraged, with a people who, in the immediately preceding verses, have been severely condemned for their false beliefs and who are so forcefully challenged to a prayer-contest to invoke the curse of God upon the holders of false beliefs. The Holy Prophet, while writing his missionary epistle to Heraclius, used this very verse, yet he forcefully invited the latter to accept Islam and threatened him with Divine punishment if he refused to do so (Bukhari). This shows beyond doubt that the mere fact of his believing in Divine Unity could not, according to the Holy Prophet, save He
9:31.
Important Words:
اربابا (Lords) is the plural of رب (Lord) for which see 1:2. رب means, lord, master or owner; a chief or ruler to whom obedience is rendered; one who fosters, brings up, or nourishes (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
This verse is wrongly considered by some to provide a basis for a compromise between Islam on the one hand and Christianity and Judaism on the other. It is argued that if these faiths become united in the doctrine of the Oneness of God, the verse permits the sacrifice of other Islamic teachings as being of comparatively little importance. Nothing can be farther from the truth. The Quran, the Hadith and the facts of history are all united in belying this ridiculous assumption. It is simply unthinkable that compromise in matters of faith could be allowed by any religion worth the name, particularly with a people who, in the immediately preceding verses, have been severely condemned for their beliefs and who are so forcefully challenged to a prayer contest to invoke the curse of God upon those who lie in their beliefs. The Holy Prophet, while writing his missionary epistle to Heraclius, used this very verse, yet he forcefully invited the latter to accept Islam and threatened him with Divine punishment if he refused to do so (Bukhari). This shows beyond doubt that the mere fact of his believing in the Oneness of God could not, according to the Holy Prophet, save Heraclius from God’s punishment. Elsewhere the Quran emphatically declares that, Surely the (true) religion with Allah is Islam, (i.e. complete submission); and whoso seeks a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the life to come he shall be among the losers (3:20 & 86). Can anything be clearer?
The truth is that this verse is intended to suggest an easy and simple method by which Jews and Christians can arrive at a right decision regarding the truth of Islam. Christians, in spite of claiming belief in the Unity of Godhead, felt satisfied in believing in the divinity of Jesus; and Jews, notwithstanding their claim to be monotheists, gave blind allegiance to their priests and divines, practically placing them in the position of God Himself. The verse exhorts both these communities to come back to their original belief in the Oneness of God and give up the worship of false deities who stand in the way of their accepting Islam. Thus, instead of seeking a compromise with these faiths, the verse virtually invites Christians and Jews to the faith of Islam, by drawing their attention to the doctrine of the Oneness of God which being, at least in its outer form, the common fundamental doctrine of all, could serve as a meeting ground for further approach.
It was exactly on these lines that Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, in his "Message of Peace", made an offer to the Hindus of India to enter into an agreement with the Muslims of his way of thinking to the effect that they (Hindus) would respect and honour the Holy Prophet of Islam and would look upon him as a true Messenger of God, even as he and his followers believed in Rama and Krishna as God’s Elect.
Special emphasis has been laid in the verse under comment on the Oneness of God—a doctrine on which in theory all revealed religions seem to agree, but regarding the details, of which no two Faiths are found to concur. Most religions claim to be monotheistic; but under the outer veneer of monotheism, polytheism very often lies hidden in most hideous forms. It is the simple faith of Islam alone which is really and truly monotheistic in all its aspects and which strongly condemns the association with God of anything or any being in His person, attributes, worship or works. It is most unfortunate, however, that in spite of Islam being such a strictly monotheistic faith, a section of present-day Muslims has drifted away into the quagmire of what cannot but be termed idol-worship in the wider sense of the word.
Incidentally, it may be noted that the letter mentioned by Bukhari and other Muslim traditionists as having been addressed by the Holy Prophet to Heraclius in the words of this verse inviting him to accept Islam has recently been discovered and found to contain the exact words quoted by Bukhari (R. Rel. vol. V. No. 8). This furnishes a strong proof of the essential authenticity of Bukhari and, for that matter, of other accepted works of Hadith.
a
9:31.
2
’’کم سے کم‘‘ کسی لفظ کا ترجمہ نہیں بلکہ عبارت کا مفہوم ہے۔
a
9:31.
353
Important Words:
اربابا (Lords) is the plural of رب (Lord) for which see 1:2. رب means, lord, master or owner; a chief or ruler to whom obedience is rendered; one who fosters, brings up, or nourishes (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
This verse is wrongly considered by some to provide a basis for a compromise between Islam on the one hand and Christianity and Judaism on the other. It is argued that if these faiths become united in the doctrine of the Oneness of God, the verse permits the sacrifice of other Islamic teachings as being of comparatively little importance. Nothing can be farther from the truth. The Quran, the Hadith and the facts of history are all united in belying this ridiculous assumption. It is simply unthinkable that compromise in matters of faith could be allowed by any religion worth the name, particularly with a people who, in the immediately preceding verses, have been severely condemned for their beliefs and who are so forcefully challenged to a prayer contest to invoke the curse of God upon those who lie in their beliefs. The Holy Prophet, while writing his missionary epistle to Heraclius, used this very verse, yet he forcefully invited the latter to accept Islam and threatened him with Divine punishment if he refused to do so (Bukhari). This shows beyond doubt that the mere fact of his believing in the Oneness of God could not, according to the Holy Prophet, save Heraclius from God’s punishment. Elsewhere the Quran emphatically declares that, Surely the (true) religion with Allah is Islam, (i.e. complete submission); and whoso seeks a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the life to come he shall be among the losers (3:20 & 86). Can anything be clearer?
The truth is that this verse is intended to suggest an easy and simple method by which Jews and Christians can arrive at a right decision regarding the truth of Islam. Christians, in spite of claiming belief in the Unity of Godhead, felt satisfied in believing in the divinity of Jesus; and Jews, notwithstanding their claim to be monotheists, gave blind allegiance to their priests and divines, practically placing them in the position of God Himself. The verse exhorts both these communities to come back to their original belief in the Oneness of God and give up the worship of false deities who stand in the way of their accepting Islam. Thus, instead of seeking a compromise with these faiths, the verse virtually invites Christians and Jews to the faith of Islam, by drawing their attention to the doctrine of the Oneness of God which being, at least in its outer form, the common fundamental doctrine of all, could serve as a meeting ground for further approach.
It was exactly on these lines that Ahmad, the Promised Messiah, in his "Message of Peace", made an offer to the Hindus of India to enter into an agreement with the Muslims of his way of thinking to the effect that they (Hindus) would respect and honour the Holy Prophet of Islam and would look upon him as a true Messenger of God, even as he and his followers believed in Rama and Krishna as God’s Elect.
Special emphasis has been laid in the verse under comment on the Oneness of God—a doctrine on which in theory all revealed religions seem to agree, but regarding the details, of which no two Faiths are found to concur. Most religions claim to be monotheistic; but under the outer veneer of monotheism, polytheism very often lies hidden in most hideous forms. It is the simple faith of Islam alone which is really and truly monotheistic in all its aspects and which strongly condemns the association with God of anything or any being in His person, attributes, worship or works. It is most unfortunate, however, that in spite of Islam being such a strictly monotheistic faith, a section of present-day Muslims has drifted away into the quagmire of what cannot but be termed idol-worship in the wider sense of the word.
Incidentally, it may be noted that the letter mentioned by Bukhari and other Muslim traditionists as having been addressed by the Holy Prophet to Heraclius in the words of this verse inviting him to accept Islam has recently been discovered and found to contain the exact words quoted by Bukhari (R. Rel. vol. V. No. 8). This furnishes a strong proof of the essential authenticity of Bukhari and, for that matter, of other accepted works of Hadith.
a
9:31.
426A
This verse is wrongly considered by some to provide a basis for a compromise between Islam on the one hand and Christianity and Judaism on the other. It is argued that if these religions also teach and inculcate the doctrine of Divine Unity, then other Islamic teachings supposed to be of comparatively little importance could safely be left alone. It is unthinkable that the idea of compromise in matters of faith could ever have been encouraged, with a people who, in the immediately preceding verses, have been severely condemned for their false beliefs and who are so forcefully challenged to a prayer-contest to invoke the curse of God upon the holders of false beliefs. The Holy Prophet, while writing his missionary epistle to Heraclius, used this very verse, yet he forcefully invited the latter to accept Islam and threatened him with Divine punishment if he refused to do so (Bukhari). This shows beyond doubt that the mere fact of his believing in Divine Unity could not, according to the Holy Prophet, save He
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۗ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حَدِيثًا
یعنی قیامت صُغریٰ (جو موت ہے) اس کے بعد ارواح کو محفوظ رکھے گا یہاں تک کہ قیامت کُبریٰ یعنی حشر کا دن آجائے۔
Commentary:
Taking the particle الی (till) in the sense of فی (in or on for which see Lane), the clause لیجمعنکم الی یوم القیامة may also be rendered as, "He will certainly assemble you on the Day of Resurrection" but the more correct rendering is that given in the text, i.e. He will certainly (continue to) assemble you till the Day of Resurrection. The difference in meaning is obvious. People are born and die and will go on doing so till the Last Day. Thus the process of assembling is always going on and will continue till the Day of Resurrection, when God will call all to account.
1
یعنی قیامت صُغریٰ (جو موت ہے) اس کے بعد ارواح کو محفوظ رکھے گا یہاں تک کہ قیامت کُبریٰ یعنی حشر کا دن آجائے۔
556
Commentary:
Taking the particle الی (till) in the sense of فی (in or on for which see Lane), the clause لیجمعنکم الی یوم القیامة may also be rendered as, "He will certainly assemble you on the Day of Resurrection" but the more correct rendering is that given in the text, i.e. He will certainly (continue to) assemble you till the Day of Resurrection. The difference in meaning is obvious. People are born and die and will go on doing so till the Last Day. Thus the process of assembling is always going on and will continue till the Day of Resurrection, when God will call all to account.
لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَٰثَةٍ ۘ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّآ إِلَٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۚ وَإِن لَّمْ يَنتَهُوا۟ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
4:172.
The reference in this verse is to the doctrine of Trinity, that mysterious and abstruse dogma of the three persons of Godhead—the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost—coexisting and co-equal in all respects, combining to make one God and yet remaining three. It was the Nicene Council and especially the Athanasian Creed that first gave the dogma its definite shape. The doctrine forms the basic article of the Christian Faith.
4:172.
Commentary:
The reference in this verse is to the doctrine of Trinity, that mysterious and abstruse dogma of the three persons of Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Ghost—co-existing and co-equal in all respects, combining to make one God and yet remaining three. It was the Nicene Council and especially the Athenasian Creed that first gave the dogma its definite shape. The doctrine forms the basic Article of the Christian Faith. What a fall for the enlightened West!
c
4:172.
387
这节经文所叙述的是 “三位一体” 的教义, 即圣父、圣子和圣灵--------三位同时存在并在一切方面都相互等同, 结合成为一个安拉, 但仍然是三位的那一神秘难解的教义。第一个定出这一具体教义的是奈斯会议 (Nicene Council), 尤其是阿他那修士信条 (Athenasian Creed)。这一教义形成基督教的基本信条。
c
4:172.
704
Commentary:
The reference in this verse is to the doctrine of Trinity, that mysterious and abstruse dogma of the three persons of Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Ghost—co-existing and co-equal in all respects, combining to make one God and yet remaining three. It was the Nicene Council and especially the Athenasian Creed that first gave the dogma its definite shape. The doctrine forms the basic Article of the Christian Faith. What a fall for the enlightened West!
d
4:172.
778
The reference in this verse is to the doctrine of Trinity, that mysterious and abstruse dogma of the three persons of Godhead—the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost—coexisting and co-equal in all respects, combining to make one God and yet remaining three. It was the Nicene Council and especially the Athanasian Creed that first gave the dogma its definite shape. The doctrine forms the basic article of the Christian Faith.
قُلْ أَىُّ شَىْءٍ أَكْبَرُ شَهَٰدَةً ۖ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۖ شَهِيدٌۢ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَكُمْ ۚ وَأُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ هَٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِۦ وَمَنۢ بَلَغَ ۚ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ ءَالِهَةً أُخْرَىٰ ۚ قُل لَّآ أَشْهَدُ ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ وَإِنَّنِى بَرِىٓءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ
4:167; 13:44; 29:53.
安拉以三种不同方式作证--------以 «古兰经» 的启示作证。这是第一种作证方式。第二种和第三种作证方式将在以下的经文中谈及。
4:167; 13:44; 29:53.
God bears witness in three different ways,—by the revelation of the Qur’an. This is the first witness. The second and the third witnesses are mentioned in the following verses.
4:167; 13:44; 29:53.
Commentary:
God Himself answers the question which He has put in the beginning of the verse; for the disbelievers did not know how to answer. They could not think that God also could bear witness. The answer has been given by God in order to instruct and teach believers.
Now the question is, how does God bear witness? This verse and the next two mention three ways by which God bears witness to the truth of the Holy Prophet. The first is by means of the Quran. This Quran has been revealed to me, the verse calls upon the Holy Prophet to say, so that with it I may warn you and whomsoever it reaches. These words signify that whosoever opposes the Quran and obstructs it will be visited by Divine punishment. This punishment will constitute God’s testimony to the truth of the Holy Prophet. The second and the third ways by which God bears witness are mentioned in the verses that follow.
g
4:167; 13:44; 29:53.
419
安拉以三种不同方式作证--------以 «古兰经» 的启示作证。这是第一种作证方式。第二种和第三种作证方式将在以下的经文中谈及。
a
4:167; 13:44; 29:53.
767
Commentary:
God Himself answers the question which He has put in the beginning of the verse; for the disbelievers did not know how to answer. They could not think that God also could bear witness. The answer has been given by God in order to instruct and teach believers.
Now the question is, how does God bear witness? This verse and the next two mention three ways by which God bears witness to the truth of the Holy Prophet. The first is by means of the Quran. This Quran has been revealed to me, the verse calls upon the Holy Prophet to say, so that with it I may warn you and whomsoever it reaches. These words signify that whosoever opposes the Quran and obstructs it will be visited by Divine punishment. This punishment will constitute God’s testimony to the truth of the Holy Prophet. The second and the third ways by which God bears witness are mentioned in the verses that follow.
d
4:167; 13:44; 29:53.
833
God bears witness in three different ways,—by the revelation of the Qur’an. This is the first witness. The second and the third witnesses are mentioned in the following verses.
ٱتَّخَذُوٓا۟ أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَٰنَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْمَسِيحَ ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ وَمَآ أُمِرُوٓا۟ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَٰهًا وَٰحِدًا ۖ لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
12:41; 17:24; 98:6.
Ahbar are Jewish savants and Ruhban Christian monks.
12:41; 17:24; 98:6.
Important Words:
For احبار (learned men) and رھبان (monks) see 5:45 and 5:83 respectively.
Commentary:
احبار (learned men) belonged to Jews and رھبان (monks) to Christians. Both these people virtually looked upon their religious leaders as so many gods besides the true God.
b
12:41; 17:24; 98:6.
565
اَحْبَار (Ahbar) 是一些犹太的祭司而 رُهْبَان (Ruhban) 是一些基督教的修道士。
a
12:41; 17:24; 98:6.
1191
Important Words:
For احبار (learned men) and رھبان (monks) see 5:45 and 5:83 respectively.
Commentary:
احبار (learned men) belonged to Jews and رھبان (monks) to Christians. Both these people virtually looked upon their religious leaders as so many gods besides the true God.
a
12:41; 17:24; 98:6.
1177
Ahbar are Jewish savants and Ruhban Christian monks.
يُنَزِّلُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ بِٱلرُّوحِ مِنْ أَمْرِهِۦ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦٓ أَنْ أَنذِرُوٓا۟ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱتَّقُونِ
By Ruh, (which signifies soul or spirit; Divine revelation; the Qur’an; etc.—Lane), is here meant the life-giving Word of God. The word also denotes a Prophet’s Divine Message because of its life-giving qualities.
Important Words:
الروح (revelation) is derived from راح which means, it became cool and pleasant; he was brisk, lively, active, prompt or quick. روح means, soul or spirit; Divine revelation or inspiration; the Quran; angel; joy and happiness; mercy (Lane). See also 4:172.
Commentary:
By الروح (revelation) is here meant the life-giving Word of God. It is also used to denote a Prophet’s Message for its life-giving qualities. The words, warn people, suggest that 'revelation' here means the special revelation which is given to a Divine Messenger. It should be remembered that Divine revelation is generally of two kinds: (a) The revelation which concerns the recipient’s own person. It does not require to be made known and published, though generally there is no special ban on giving it publicity. (b) The revelation which is meant for mankind at large. This latter kind of revelation must be given wide publicity and it amounts to a veritable sin to suppress it. This revelation is technically known as a Prophet’s revelation. The words, by His command, signify:
(1) That angels can bring no revelation of their own accord but do so only at the command of God and carry only God’s own word.
(2) That the revelation referred to here is the one which embodies Divine commands and prohibitions and constitutes the essence of the Divine Message.
(3) That the decree of God implied in the words اتی امر اللّٰه (the decree of Allah is coming) occurring in the preceding verse is general and is fulfilled in the case of every Prophet. In other words, the advent of every Prophet is attended by the punishment of disbelievers and the progress and advance of the cause of truth.
(4) That it is obligatory to believe in a Prophet inasmuch as the message he brings contains the 'commands of God'. Rejection of the Prophet thus amounts to a denial of God Himself.
The expression من عبادہ (of His servants) means the chosen servants of God and not all men, and contains a beautiful hint that prophethood is God’s special gift and it is bestowed only upon His chosen servants. The recipients of this special Divine gift must be true servants of God. The expression also signifies that prophethood is bestowed upon only the devotees of the true God and not upon the devotees of false gods. History fails to record a single instance of a Prophet having risen from among the devotees of false gods.
It may be understood from the words, on whomsoever of His servants He pleases, that it is God’s own prerogative to select a man for the exalted office of a Prophet.
The Arabic expression ینزل (yunazzilu —He sends down) is used to express a gradual sending down and is meant to signify that the word of God is revealed gradually and in pieces and is not sent down all at once and as one complete whole. This is essential because a new revelation is intended to replace the existing order by a new order which is based upon new Divine commands and prohibitions.
This replacement of the old order by a new one can only be possible if these commandments and prohib-itions are given gradually and in stages so that people may be able to assimilate them and adopt them in their daily lives. All Divine Laws were revealed gradually and piecemeal and their revelation was spread over a long period of time. Christian critics of Islam conveniently forget this patent characteristic of the Quranic revelation when finding fault with it on the basis of its having been sent down to the Holy Prophet in stages. The objection that this gradual revelation of the Quran shows it to be the Prophet’s own composition exposes only their own ignorance of the Divine Law in this respect.
The words, So take Me alone for your protector, contain the essence of all religious teaching. The teachings of different Prophets have differed in detail but they are one in proclaiming the Oneness of God because it forms the basis and kernel of all religious teaching.
1804
Important Words:
الروح (revelation) is derived from راح which means, it became cool and pleasant; he was brisk, lively, active, prompt or quick. روح means, soul or spirit; Divine revelation or inspiration; the Quran; angel; joy and happiness; mercy (Lane). See also 4:172.
Commentary:
By الروح (revelation) is here meant the life-giving Word of God. It is also used to denote a Prophet’s Message for its life-giving qualities. The words, warn people, suggest that 'revelation' here means the special revelation which is given to a Divine Messenger. It should be remembered that Divine revelation is generally of two kinds: (a) The revelation which concerns the recipient’s own person. It does not require to be made known and published, though generally there is no special ban on giving it publicity. (b) The revelation which is meant for mankind at large. This latter kind of revelation must be given wide publicity and it amounts to a veritable sin to suppress it. This revelation is technically known as a Prophet’s revelation. The words, by His command, signify:
(1) That angels can bring no revelation of their own accord but do so only at the command of God and carry only God’s own word.
(2) That the revelation referred to here is the one which embodies Divine commands and prohibitions and constitutes the essence of the Divine Message.
(3) That the decree of God implied in the words اتی امر اللّٰه (the decree of Allah is coming) occurring in the preceding verse is general and is fulfilled in the case of every Prophet. In other words, the advent of every Prophet is attended by the punishment of disbelievers and the progress and advance of the cause of truth.
(4) That it is obligatory to believe in a Prophet inasmuch as the message he brings contains the 'commands of God'. Rejection of the Prophet thus amounts to a denial of God Himself.
The expression من عبادہ (of His servants) means the chosen servants of God and not all men, and contains a beautiful hint that prophethood is God’s special gift and it is bestowed only upon His chosen servants. The recipients of this special Divine gift must be true servants of God. The expression also signifies that prophethood is bestowed upon only the devotees of the true God and not upon the devotees of false gods. History fails to record a single instance of a Prophet having risen from among the devotees of false gods.
It may be understood from the words, on whomsoever of His servants He pleases, that it is God’s own prerogative to select a man for the exalted office of a Prophet.
The Arabic expression ینزل (yunazzilu —He sends down) is used to express a gradual sending down and is meant to signify that the word of God is revealed gradually and in pieces and is not sent down all at once and as one complete whole. This is essential because a new revelation is intended to replace the existing order by a new order which is based upon new Divine commands and prohibitions.
This replacement of the old order by a new one can only be possible if these commandments and prohib-itions are given gradually and in stages so that people may be able to assimilate them and adopt them in their daily lives. All Divine Laws were revealed gradually and piecemeal and their revelation was spread over a long period of time. Christian critics of Islam conveniently forget this patent characteristic of the Quranic revelation when finding fault with it on the basis of its having been sent down to the Holy Prophet in stages. The objection that this gradual revelation of the Quran shows it to be the Prophet’s own composition exposes only their own ignorance of the Divine Law in this respect.
The words, So take Me alone for your protector, contain the essence of all religious teaching. The teachings of different Prophets have differed in detail but they are one in proclaiming the Oneness of God because it forms the basis and kernel of all religious teaching.
1529
By Ruh, (which signifies soul or spirit; Divine revelation; the Qur’an; etc.—Lane), is here meant the life-giving Word of God. The word also denotes a Prophet’s Divine Message because of its life-giving qualities.
إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ قُلُوبُهُم مُّنكِرَةٌ وَهُم مُّسْتَكْبِرُونَ
2:164; 5:74; 22:35; 37:5.
2:164; 5:74; 22:35; 37:5.
2:164; 5:74; 22:35; 37:5.
Commentary:
The claim embodied in the words, Your God is One God, is no empty assertion nor have these words been placed here at random. The declaration is the natural conclusion of the arguments given in the preceding verses. In fact it is a characteristic of the Quran that it does not make a statement without supporting it by arguments which immediately precede or follow it. In the present case the arguments are contained in the preceding verses, which comprised two main themes. One was that all the objects in the universe form different links of one chain and are inter-related to and inter-dependent upon one another and that the end and object of the whole creation is man. His main food is the animals. These live upon plants and the latter depend for their life upon water which men use as drink. Water also feeds plants which in their turn feed men. The plants grow under the influence of the sun, the, moon and the stars and the influence of the light of the day and the darkness of the night.
Again the seas serve as great reservoirs of water. They supply man with food, and serve as great highways of communication. The water of the sea is purified by the process of evaporation and becomes fit for use. The rivers replenish the seas and keep the land fit for human habitation. This inter-relation and inter-dependence of things upon each other points inevitably to the fact that there must be only one Creator of them all. Plurality of creators necessarily implies imperfection of each, and only a Perfect Being can be our God.
The other theme of the preceding verses was that all objects of human worship were dead. So the Living God alone deserved to be the object of our worship and was the only true God.
The words, those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts are strangers to truth and they are full of pride, embody the answer to the implied question: viz. if the Unity of the Godhead is so obvious and indisputable, then why do men still deny it? The answer given is that this denial is founded on no reason but has its basis in the denial of life after death. Such denial naturally creates a sense of irresponsibility and lack of seriousness and sobriety on the part of disbelievers, leading them gradually to folly and ignorance and the inability even to recognize things which are quite obvious. Another result of the denial of life after death on the part of disbelievers is the growth of conceit and arrogance born of a sense of irresponsibility and of reckless refusal to admit the existence of things which, their reason tells them, are true.
Thus the clause speaks of two kinds of idolaters (1) the foolish and the ignorant; and (2) the proud and the conceited.
a
2:164; 5:74; 22:35; 37:5.
a
2:164; 5:74; 22:35; 37:5.
1824
Commentary:
The claim embodied in the words, Your God is One God, is no empty assertion nor have these words been placed here at random. The declaration is the natural conclusion of the arguments given in the preceding verses. In fact it is a characteristic of the Quran that it does not make a statement without supporting it by arguments which immediately precede or follow it. In the present case the arguments are contained in the preceding verses, which comprised two main themes. One was that all the objects in the universe form different links of one chain and are inter-related to and inter-dependent upon one another and that the end and object of the whole creation is man. His main food is the animals. These live upon plants and the latter depend for their life upon water which men use as drink. Water also feeds plants which in their turn feed men. The plants grow under the influence of the sun, the, moon and the stars and the influence of the light of the day and the darkness of the night.
Again the seas serve as great reservoirs of water. They supply man with food, and serve as great highways of communication. The water of the sea is purified by the process of evaporation and becomes fit for use. The rivers replenish the seas and keep the land fit for human habitation. This inter-relation and inter-dependence of things upon each other points inevitably to the fact that there must be only one Creator of them all. Plurality of creators necessarily implies imperfection of each, and only a Perfect Being can be our God.
The other theme of the preceding verses was that all objects of human worship were dead. So the Living God alone deserved to be the object of our worship and was the only true God.
The words, those who believe not in the Hereafter, their hearts are strangers to truth and they are full of pride, embody the answer to the implied question: viz. if the Unity of the Godhead is so obvious and indisputable, then why do men still deny it? The answer given is that this denial is founded on no reason but has its basis in the denial of life after death. Such denial naturally creates a sense of irresponsibility and lack of seriousness and sobriety on the part of disbelievers, leading them gradually to folly and ignorance and the inability even to recognize things which are quite obvious. Another result of the denial of life after death on the part of disbelievers is the growth of conceit and arrogance born of a sense of irresponsibility and of reckless refusal to admit the existence of things which, their reason tells them, are true.
Thus the clause speaks of two kinds of idolaters (1) the foolish and the ignorant; and (2) the proud and the conceited.
b
2:164; 5:74; 22:35; 37:5.
۞ وَقَالَ ٱللَّهُ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ إِلَٰهَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۖ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَإِيَّٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ
اِیَّایَ سے پہلے اِرْھَبُوْا محذوف ہے۔ یہ ایک باریک نحوی مسئلہ ہے اس کے لئے دیکھئے اِمْلَآءُ مَا مَنَّ بِہِ الرَّحْمٰنُ مؤلفہ ابوالبقاء صفحہ ۱۸‘۱۹۔
16:23.
A study of the working of the universe reveals a wonderful uniformity of the system running through it. If there had been more gods than one, this uniformity would have disappeared. Moreover, if there had been two gods, one would have to be subordinate to the other to carry out his orders. In that case the existence of one of the two would be superfluous. But if both of them had been of an equal status, then each of them would have his own separate sphere of influence and control. In such an event differences certainly would have arisen between them. But both these suppositions are absurd. Hence there must be One God, the Only Creator of the entire universe.
See 16:23.
Commentary:
The interdiction about the adoption of two gods in the first sentence of the verse does not imply that the adoption of more than two gods is permissible, for it is stated in the very next sentence that God is One. This form of speech has been used to lend emphasis to the statement and means that God is only One and not two, much less many.
Another implication of the verse is that all men, even polytheists and idolaters, believe that there is One Supreme God. They believe in other and lesser gods in the sense that they exercise local and restricted authority, e.g., some control rain, others control food, yet others diseases, etc. There are also gods presiding over the destinies of certain families and tribes. But the Quran most emphatically denies the division of the Godhead into two or three or more and the present verse lays the greatest stress on the Oneness of God and says that no one dare share Godhead with Him.
The verse may also be considered as a refutation of the belief held by the Magi that there are two gods, one of good and the other of evil. It purports to say that both good and evil consequences of actions proceed from one and the same God and that there is no other god beside Him.
A further implication of the verse is that when there is only one God, then He alone has the authority to make Laws and that He has sent down the Quran for the guidance of man.
Referring to the warnings given in the previous verse, the Quran declares here that when events predicted long before by the Prophet come to pass after his Migration from Mecca, it will establish the Oneness of God.
The verse also implies a comparison between the teachings of the Quran and those advocated by disbelievers and points out that man cannot do without the monotheistic teachings inculcated by the Quran. Polytheism tends to dissipate human attention and energies while monotheism gives him concentration, strength and peace of mind.
c
16:23.
681
宇宙运转的研究揭示了贯穿宇宙体系的惊人的一致性。假如有一个以上的主宰, 这个一致性便会消失。此外, 如果有两个主宰, 一个必须从属於另一个去执行他的命令。在这种情况下, 两个中的一个存在会是多余的。如果他们两个处于相等地位, 那么, 他们有各自的影响和支配范围。在这种情况下, 他们中间必然会引起分歧。但是这两种假定都是荒谬的。因此一定只能有一个主宰,--------整个宇宙唯一的创造主。
2
اِیَّایَ سے پہلے اِرْھَبُوْا محذوف ہے۔ یہ ایک باریک نحوی مسئلہ ہے اس کے لئے دیکھئے اِمْلَآءُ مَا مَنَّ بِہِ الرَّحْمٰنُ مؤلفہ ابوالبقاء صفحہ ۱۸‘۱۹۔
b
See 16:23.
1853
Commentary:
The interdiction about the adoption of two gods in the first sentence of the verse does not imply that the adoption of more than two gods is permissible, for it is stated in the very next sentence that God is One. This form of speech has been used to lend emphasis to the statement and means that God is only One and not two, much less many.
Another implication of the verse is that all men, even polytheists and idolaters, believe that there is One Supreme God. They believe in other and lesser gods in the sense that they exercise local and restricted authority, e.g., some control rain, others control food, yet others diseases, etc. There are also gods presiding over the destinies of certain families and tribes. But the Quran most emphatically denies the division of the Godhead into two or three or more and the present verse lays the greatest stress on the Oneness of God and says that no one dare share Godhead with Him.
The verse may also be considered as a refutation of the belief held by the Magi that there are two gods, one of good and the other of evil. It purports to say that both good and evil consequences of actions proceed from one and the same God and that there is no other god beside Him.
A further implication of the verse is that when there is only one God, then He alone has the authority to make Laws and that He has sent down the Quran for the guidance of man.
Referring to the warnings given in the previous verse, the Quran declares here that when events predicted long before by the Prophet come to pass after his Migration from Mecca, it will establish the Oneness of God.
The verse also implies a comparison between the teachings of the Quran and those advocated by disbelievers and points out that man cannot do without the monotheistic teachings inculcated by the Quran. Polytheism tends to dissipate human attention and energies while monotheism gives him concentration, strength and peace of mind.
b
16:23.
1551
A study of the working of the universe reveals a wonderful uniformity of the system running through it. If there had been more gods than one, this uniformity would have disappeared. Moreover, if there had been two gods, one would have to be subordinate to the other to carry out his orders. In that case the existence of one of the two would be superfluous. But if both of them had been of an equal status, then each of them would have his own separate sphere of influence and control. In such an event differences certainly would have arisen between them. But both these suppositions are absurd. Hence there must be One God, the Only Creator of the entire universe.
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعْبُدُونِ
یہ آیت عربی کے ترجمہ کے لحاظ سے بہت مشکل ہے کیونکہ یہ مضمون اردو میں مثبت الفاظ میں ادا کرتے ہیں۔ لیکن عربی میں منفی الفاظ سے۔ ہم نے ترجمہ کی سہولت کے لئے مفہوم کو قائم رکھتے ہوئے ترجمہ مثبت الفاظ میں کر دیا ہے۔
Commentary:
The verse gives a third argument in favour of the Unity of God. It purports to say that all the Divine Messengers and great religious reformers who appeared among different nations and countries at different times testified with one voice to the Oneness of God which was their common mission. In spite of the fact that with the passage of time the teachings of these Prophets became tampered with and were subjected to distortions and interpolations, the belief in the Unity of God continued to be the basic principle of all these teachings. These Prophets and Messengers appeared among all nations and peoples and the greatest of all, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, appeared at a time when the whole world was immersed in the Cimmerian darkness of moral turpitude, and idol worship was rife among every people and country in one form or another and was practised in its most heinous form in Arabia where the Holy Prophet preached his message of the Oneness of God. He carried on such an effective and relentless campaign against idolatry that it disappeared from Arabia never to return. Not only did he condemn and forbid idol-worship and enjoin and impress upon his people the worship of One True God but also gave unanswerable arguments in support of monotheism and against polytheism and he fully succeeded in engendering in the minds of his followers an invincible faith in Divine Unity and an equally implacable hatred for shirk—setting up equals with God. In four short sentences of one of its shortest Surah—Al-Ikhlas, the Quran has refuted and demolished in a most beautiful and effective manner four forms of polytheism. The first verse proclaims the absolute Unity of God. It says: "Say, He is Allah, the One." It means that out of ignorance and perversity man invents and indulges in most fantastic theories and ideas about God. But the central and pivotal fact about the Divine Being remains that He is absolutely One in every respect and manner. He is neither the beginning nor the end of anything and He is not like anything, nor any thing is like Him. To regard anything like Him is to impugn His absolute Unity.
In the words, "Allah, the Independent and Besought of all," the Quran has demolished the second kind of shirk i.e. to ascribe Divine powers and attributes to other beings and things. The verse says that God has need of nobody but all beings and things have need of Him. It is therefore foolish and futile to have recourse to beings and things which themselves are wholly dependent upon God. The third verse, viz. "He begets not, nor is He begotten" refutes and repudiates the third kind of polytheism i.e. the doctrine of God being the father or son of anybody. The verse means to say that God is eternal and everlasting. He has begotten no son who should take His place, nor is He begotten of anyone from whom He should have inherited His Divine powers and attributes. He was always Independent and Besought of all and will ever be so. So we should worship Him and call on Him alone for the fulfilment of our needs and requirements. The verse "And there is none like unto Him," exposes the folly and futility of the fourth kind of shirk. It signifies that it is beyond any created thing to be His partner in Divinity i.e. to be like Him in His person or attributes. God is far exalted and above that to which man can aspire. However high man may rise, he cannot even touch the fringes of the precincts of Divinity and will ever remain God’s servant.
This is the most sublime conception of absolute Unity of God as taught and inculcated by the Quran.
At another place (2:256) the Quran has shed further light on Divine Unity. It says: "There is no God but Allah, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep (i.e. no interruption ever takes place in His works). To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission (i.e. God grants the prayers of His servants but no one should think that He can compel God to accept His prayer. It is after He has granted the permission to any of His servants that he can intercede with Him)? He knows what is before them and what is behind them (i.e. He knows the past and the future. His knowledge is complete and all-comprehensive because full control is not possible without complete knowledge and complete knowledge is the never-failing accompaniment of absolute Unity). And they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases (i.e. man can accomplish nothing except with the help of the knowledge that he receives from God). His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth (i.e. not an atom moves in the heavens and the earth without His permission and every particle is subject to His control). And the care of them burdens Him not (i.e. the universe will continue to exist and function under the never-failing supervision and protection of God). And He is the High (i.e. every atom of the universe bears witness to His Almightiness and He is so exalted that human reason cannot attain to full comprehension of Him); and yet He is great (i.e. He is so manifest in His great works that every honest seeker after Him can attain to communion with Him)." This is the very high and noble conception of Divine Unity which the Holy Prophet gave to the world and for which he worked and suffered. He told the people of the world that Divine Unity consists in the fact that man should rise to such a high stage of spiritual exaltation as to become completely engrossed in One God and become at one with Him. It is when man reaches this high stage of moral and spiritual development that he can be said to have attained the great object of his creation.
2
یہ آیت عربی کے ترجمہ کے لحاظ سے بہت مشکل ہے کیونکہ یہ مضمون اردو میں مثبت الفاظ میں ادا کرتے ہیں۔ لیکن عربی میں منفی الفاظ سے۔ ہم نے ترجمہ کی سہولت کے لئے مفہوم کو قائم رکھتے ہوئے ترجمہ مثبت الفاظ میں کر دیا ہے۔
2366
Commentary:
The verse gives a third argument in favour of the Unity of God. It purports to say that all the Divine Messengers and great religious reformers who appeared among different nations and countries at different times testified with one voice to the Oneness of God which was their common mission. In spite of the fact that with the passage of time the teachings of these Prophets became tampered with and were subjected to distortions and interpolations, the belief in the Unity of God continued to be the basic principle of all these teachings. These Prophets and Messengers appeared among all nations and peoples and the greatest of all, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, appeared at a time when the whole world was immersed in the Cimmerian darkness of moral turpitude, and idol worship was rife among every people and country in one form or another and was practised in its most heinous form in Arabia where the Holy Prophet preached his message of the Oneness of God. He carried on such an effective and relentless campaign against idolatry that it disappeared from Arabia never to return. Not only did he condemn and forbid idol-worship and enjoin and impress upon his people the worship of One True God but also gave unanswerable arguments in support of monotheism and against polytheism and he fully succeeded in engendering in the minds of his followers an invincible faith in Divine Unity and an equally implacable hatred for shirk—setting up equals with God. In four short sentences of one of its shortest Surah—Al-Ikhlas, the Quran has refuted and demolished in a most beautiful and effective manner four forms of polytheism. The first verse proclaims the absolute Unity of God. It says: "Say, He is Allah, the One." It means that out of ignorance and perversity man invents and indulges in most fantastic theories and ideas about God. But the central and pivotal fact about the Divine Being remains that He is absolutely One in every respect and manner. He is neither the beginning nor the end of anything and He is not like anything, nor any thing is like Him. To regard anything like Him is to impugn His absolute Unity.
In the words, "Allah, the Independent and Besought of all," the Quran has demolished the second kind of shirk i.e. to ascribe Divine powers and attributes to other beings and things. The verse says that God has need of nobody but all beings and things have need of Him. It is therefore foolish and futile to have recourse to beings and things which themselves are wholly dependent upon God. The third verse, viz. "He begets not, nor is He begotten" refutes and repudiates the third kind of polytheism i.e. the doctrine of God being the father or son of anybody. The verse means to say that God is eternal and everlasting. He has begotten no son who should take His place, nor is He begotten of anyone from whom He should have inherited His Divine powers and attributes. He was always Independent and Besought of all and will ever be so. So we should worship Him and call on Him alone for the fulfilment of our needs and requirements. The verse "And there is none like unto Him," exposes the folly and futility of the fourth kind of shirk. It signifies that it is beyond any created thing to be His partner in Divinity i.e. to be like Him in His person or attributes. God is far exalted and above that to which man can aspire. However high man may rise, he cannot even touch the fringes of the precincts of Divinity and will ever remain God’s servant.
This is the most sublime conception of absolute Unity of God as taught and inculcated by the Quran.
At another place (2:256) the Quran has shed further light on Divine Unity. It says: "There is no God but Allah, the Living, the Self-Subsisting and All-Sustaining. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep (i.e. no interruption ever takes place in His works). To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that will intercede with Him except by His permission (i.e. God grants the prayers of His servants but no one should think that He can compel God to accept His prayer. It is after He has granted the permission to any of His servants that he can intercede with Him)? He knows what is before them and what is behind them (i.e. He knows the past and the future. His knowledge is complete and all-comprehensive because full control is not possible without complete knowledge and complete knowledge is the never-failing accompaniment of absolute Unity). And they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases (i.e. man can accomplish nothing except with the help of the knowledge that he receives from God). His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth (i.e. not an atom moves in the heavens and the earth without His permission and every particle is subject to His control). And the care of them burdens Him not (i.e. the universe will continue to exist and function under the never-failing supervision and protection of God). And He is the High (i.e. every atom of the universe bears witness to His Almightiness and He is so exalted that human reason cannot attain to full comprehension of Him); and yet He is great (i.e. He is so manifest in His great works that every honest seeker after Him can attain to communion with Him)." This is the very high and noble conception of Divine Unity which the Holy Prophet gave to the world and for which he worked and suffered. He told the people of the world that Divine Unity consists in the fact that man should rise to such a high stage of spiritual exaltation as to become completely engrossed in One God and become at one with Him. It is when man reaches this high stage of moral and spiritual development that he can be said to have attained the great object of his creation.
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ جَعَلْنَا مَنسَكًا لِّيَذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَىٰ مَا رَزَقَهُم مِّنۢ بَهِيمَةِ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ ۗ فَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ فَلَهُۥٓ أَسْلِمُوا۟ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلْمُخْبِتِينَ
5:5; 6:119.
5:74; 16:23; 37:5.
نَسَكَ لِلّٰه (Nasaka Lillahi) 意味着甘心情愿地牺牲和行善, 并自发地向安拉靠近。因此 مَنْسَك(Mansak) 意指宰牲仪式以及举行此种仪式的地点 (اَقْرَبْ, Aqrab)。从这节经文开始宣讲有关牺牲的题目。它是这章所涉及的三个主要题目之一。另外两个题目是朝觐与在主道上极力奋斗。这节经文说明有关牺牲的经律不只是伊斯兰教有, 其他宗教也有, 因为所有的宗教都出自同样神圣来源。这节经文还说明各种宗教的信奉者最初都是受命宰牲; 用人作为祭品的残酷行径是以后的新招。从根词 نَسَكَ (Nasaka) Lane有不同意义的观点看, 真正的牺牲具有三个特点: (1) 它必须是自愿的与自发的, (2) 牺牲必须出自最纯洁的动机, (3) 必须毫不考虑奉献的物质报酬。
这节经文有双重意义: (1) 牺牲仪式是各宗教共有的, 尽管各宗教的产生时间和起源地很不相同。这一事实说明, 最初他们都是出于同一个至高无上的源泉, 也说明了各民族的主宰是同一个安拉。(2) 牺牲的目的是为了安拉而牺牲我们的志向和抱负, 牺牲我们一切意念和理想乃至生命和荣誉来认识并宣告安拉的独一性, 按照伊斯兰教教义, 牺牲的概念不在于抚慰被触怒的神灵, 不在于赎免个人的罪孽, 而在于安拉的道上把个人的一切奉献给安拉。
5:5; 6:119.
5:74; 16:23; 37:5.
Nasaka Lillahi means, he sacrificed and did good deeds willingly and spontaneously to win nearness to God. Mansak, therefore, means, rites of sacrifice; a place where such rites are performed (Aqrab). With this verse begins the subject of Sacrifice, one of the three main themes with which this Surah deals, the other two being Hajj and Jihad. The verse further shows that the commandment relating to Sacrifice is not confined to Islam. It is common to all religions because they have proceeded from the same Divine Source. The verse also shows that it was the sacrifice of animals that was originally enjoined on the followers of all religions and that the cruel practice of offering human beings as sacrifice was a later innovation. In view of the different meanings of the root-word Nasaka (Lane), true sacrifice possesses three essential characteristics: (a) It should be voluntary and spontaneous. (b) It should be offered with the purest of motives. (c) It should not be of
The verse has twofold significance: (1) The fact that the rite of Sacrifice is common to all religions, although they are so widely separated from one another as regards the time and place of their origin, shows that originally they all emanated from the same Supreme Source and that the God of all nations is One God. (2) That the object underlying Sacrifice is to realise and proclaim the Oneness of God by sacrificing our ambitions and aspirations, all our ideas and ideals and even life and honour for His sake. The concept of Sacrifice according to Islam does not consist in appeasing an offended deity or in atoning for one’s sins but in sacrificing one’s all for the sake of God and in the way of God.
5:5; 6:119.
5:74; 16:23; 37:5.
Important Words:
منسکا (rites of sacrifice) is derived from نسك . They say نسك الذبیحة i.e. he slaughtered and sacrificed the animal. نسك الرجلmeans, the man led a life devoted to God; he practised virtue and piety. نسك للّٰه means, he sacrificed seeking to win the pleasure of God; he did good deeds willingly and spontaneously in order to win nearness to God. نسك الثوب means, he washed the cloth. منسك means, rites of sacrifice; place where those rites are performed; one’s native place. مناسك الحج means, the religious rites and ceremonies of the Pilgrimage.
For مخبتین see 11:24.
Commentary:
With this verse begins the subject of sacrifice, one of the three main themes with which this Surah deals, the other two being Hajj and jihad.
The words "And to every people We appointed rites of Sacrifice," show that the commandment relating to Sacrifice is not confined to Islam. Sacrifice is common to all religions because they have proceeded from the same Divine source. It also appears from this verse that it was the sacrifice of animals that was originally enjoined on the followers of all religions and that the cruel practice of offering human beings as sacrifice was a later innovation.
In view of the different meanings of the root word true sacrifice possesses three essential characteristics:-
(a) It should be fully voluntary and spontaneous;
(b) It should be offered with the purest of motives, i.e. only to win the pleasure of God;
(c) It should not be offered from ulterior motives and material considerations.
Thus the first commandment relating to sacrifice though apparently very simple is of great inward significance. It is that sacrifice should be offered only for the sake of Allah and that Allah’s name should be invoked while the animal is being slaughtered for food. This not only sanctifies and blesses the food but is also calculated to turn attention to the sublime object underlying the act of slaughtering the animal—to win the pleasure of God and to be prepared to sacrifice the dearest thing in His way and for His sake.
The words, "So your God is one God, therefore, submit ye all to Him," have twofold significance: (1) The fact that the rite of sacrifice is common to all religions, although they are so widely separated from one another as regards the time and place of their origin, shows that originally they all emanated from the same Supreme Source and that the God of all nations is One God. (2) That the object underlying sacrifice is to realize and proclaim the Oneness of God by sacrificing our ambitions and aspirations, all our ideas and ideals and even life and honour for His sake, and by completely submitting ourselves to His commandments. The concept of sacrifice according to Islam does not consist in appeasing an offended deity or in atoning for one’s sins but in sacrificing one’s all for the sake of God and in the way of God. Those who have full realization of this concept of sacrifice are called (humble) in the language of the Quran.
c
5:5; 6:119.
d
5:74; 16:23; 37:5.
863
نَسَكَ لِلّٰه (Nasaka Lillahi) 意味着甘心情愿地牺牲和行善, 并自发地向安拉靠近。因此 مَنْسَك(Mansak) 意指宰牲仪式以及举行此种仪式的地点 (اَقْرَبْ, Aqrab)。从这节经文开始宣讲有关牺牲的题目。它是这章所涉及的三个主要题目之一。另外两个题目是朝觐与在主道上极力奋斗。这节经文说明有关牺牲的经律不只是伊斯兰教有, 其他宗教也有, 因为所有的宗教都出自同样神圣来源。这节经文还说明各种宗教的信奉者最初都是受命宰牲; 用人作为祭品的残酷行径是以后的新招。从根词 نَسَكَ (Nasaka) Lane有不同意义的观点看, 真正的牺牲具有三个特点: (1) 它必须是自愿的与自发的, (2) 牺牲必须出自最纯洁的动机, (3) 必须毫不考虑奉献的物质报酬。
864
这节经文有双重意义: (1) 牺牲仪式是各宗教共有的, 尽管各宗教的产生时间和起源地很不相同。这一事实说明, 最初他们都是出于同一个至高无上的源泉, 也说明了各民族的主宰是同一个安拉。(2) 牺牲的目的是为了安拉而牺牲我们的志向和抱负, 牺牲我们一切意念和理想乃至生命和荣誉来认识并宣告安拉的独一性, 按照伊斯兰教教义, 牺牲的概念不在于抚慰被触怒的神灵, 不在于赎免个人的罪孽, 而在于安拉的道上把个人的一切奉献给安拉。
c
5:5; 6:119.
d
5:74; 16:23; 37:5.
2465
Important Words:
منسکا (rites of sacrifice) is derived from نسك . They say نسك الذبیحة i.e. he slaughtered and sacrificed the animal. نسك الرجلmeans, the man led a life devoted to God; he practised virtue and piety. نسك للّٰه means, he sacrificed seeking to win the pleasure of God; he did good deeds willingly and spontaneously in order to win nearness to God. نسك الثوب means, he washed the cloth. منسك means, rites of sacrifice; place where those rites are performed; one’s native place. مناسك الحج means, the religious rites and ceremonies of the Pilgrimage.
For مخبتین see 11:24.
Commentary:
With this verse begins the subject of sacrifice, one of the three main themes with which this Surah deals, the other two being Hajj and jihad.
The words "And to every people We appointed rites of Sacrifice," show that the commandment relating to Sacrifice is not confined to Islam. Sacrifice is common to all religions because they have proceeded from the same Divine source. It also appears from this verse that it was the sacrifice of animals that was originally enjoined on the followers of all religions and that the cruel practice of offering human beings as sacrifice was a later innovation.
In view of the different meanings of the root word true sacrifice possesses three essential characteristics:-
(a) It should be fully voluntary and spontaneous;
(b) It should be offered with the purest of motives, i.e. only to win the pleasure of God;
(c) It should not be offered from ulterior motives and material considerations.
Thus the first commandment relating to sacrifice though apparently very simple is of great inward significance. It is that sacrifice should be offered only for the sake of Allah and that Allah’s name should be invoked while the animal is being slaughtered for food. This not only sanctifies and blesses the food but is also calculated to turn attention to the sublime object underlying the act of slaughtering the animal—to win the pleasure of God and to be prepared to sacrifice the dearest thing in His way and for His sake.
The words, "So your God is one God, therefore, submit ye all to Him," have twofold significance: (1) The fact that the rite of sacrifice is common to all religions, although they are so widely separated from one another as regards the time and place of their origin, shows that originally they all emanated from the same Supreme Source and that the God of all nations is One God. (2) That the object underlying sacrifice is to realize and proclaim the Oneness of God by sacrificing our ambitions and aspirations, all our ideas and ideals and even life and honour for His sake, and by completely submitting ourselves to His commandments. The concept of sacrifice according to Islam does not consist in appeasing an offended deity or in atoning for one’s sins but in sacrificing one’s all for the sake of God and in the way of God. Those who have full realization of this concept of sacrifice are called (humble) in the language of the Quran.
a
5:5; 6:119.
b
5:74; 16:23; 37:5.
1952
Nasaka Lillahi means, he sacrificed and did good deeds willingly and spontaneously to win nearness to God. Mansak, therefore, means, rites of sacrifice; a place where such rites are performed (Aqrab). With this verse begins the subject of Sacrifice, one of the three main themes with which this Surah deals, the other two being Hajj and Jihad. The verse further shows that the commandment relating to Sacrifice is not confined to Islam. It is common to all religions because they have proceeded from the same Divine Source. The verse also shows that it was the sacrifice of animals that was originally enjoined on the followers of all religions and that the cruel practice of offering human beings as sacrifice was a later innovation. In view of the different meanings of the root-word Nasaka (Lane), true sacrifice possesses three essential characteristics: (a) It should be voluntary and spontaneous. (b) It should be offered with the purest of motives. (c) It should not be of
1953
The verse has twofold significance: (1) The fact that the rite of Sacrifice is common to all religions, although they are so widely separated from one another as regards the time and place of their origin, shows that originally they all emanated from the same Supreme Source and that the God of all nations is One God. (2) That the object underlying Sacrifice is to realise and proclaim the Oneness of God by sacrificing our ambitions and aspirations, all our ideas and ideals and even life and honour for His sake. The concept of Sacrifice according to Islam does not consist in appeasing an offended deity or in atoning for one’s sins but in sacrificing one’s all for the sake of God and in the way of God.
فَتَعَٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۖ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْكَرِيمِ
20:115; 22:63; 24:26.
20:115; 22:63; 24:26.
20:115; 22:63; 24:26.
Commentary:
This verse expressly supplies the answer to the vital question as to what is the aim and object of man’s creation. It is this that man should develop in himself and demonstrate in his behaviour Divine attributes, particularly the four basic ones mentioned in the present verse, viz. the King (الملک), the True Lord (الحق), the One God, beside Whom there is no other God (لا اله الا ھو); the Lord of the Glorious Throne (رب العرش الکریم). These four attributes demanded for their manifestation the creation of man and the universe. They correspond to, and, in fact, are the four attributes mentioned in an inverse order in the opening chapter of the Quran, viz.
رب العالمین (the Lord of all the worlds), الرحمان (the Gracious), الرحیم (the Merciful) and مالک یوم الدین (Master of the Day of Judgement); the attribute 'Lord of the Glorious Throne' (رب العرش الکریم) corresponding to the attribute 'Lord of the Worlds' (رب العالمین) and the attribute 'There is no God but He' (لا اله الا ھو) to the attribute 'the Gracious' (الرحمان). Similarly, the attribute 'the True' (الحق) corresponds to the attribute 'the Merciful' (الرحیم) and the attribute the King (الملک) corresponds to the attribute 'Master of the Day of Judgement' (مالک یوم الدین). Thus there exists a very striking resemblance and a deep connection between these two sets of Divine attributes.
a
20:115; 22:63; 24:26.
a
20:115; 22:63; 24:26.
2588
Commentary:
This verse expressly supplies the answer to the vital question as to what is the aim and object of man’s creation. It is this that man should develop in himself and demonstrate in his behaviour Divine attributes, particularly the four basic ones mentioned in the present verse, viz. the King (الملک), the True Lord (الحق), the One God, beside Whom there is no other God (لا اله الا ھو); the Lord of the Glorious Throne (رب العرش الکریم). These four attributes demanded for their manifestation the creation of man and the universe. They correspond to, and, in fact, are the four attributes mentioned in an inverse order in the opening chapter of the Quran, viz.
رب العالمین (the Lord of all the worlds), الرحمان (the Gracious), الرحیم (the Merciful) and مالک یوم الدین (Master of the Day of Judgement); the attribute 'Lord of the Glorious Throne' (رب العرش الکریم) corresponding to the attribute 'Lord of the Worlds' (رب العالمین) and the attribute 'There is no God but He' (لا اله الا ھو) to the attribute 'the Gracious' (الرحمان). Similarly, the attribute 'the True' (الحق) corresponds to the attribute 'the Merciful' (الرحیم) and the attribute the King (الملک) corresponds to the attribute 'Master of the Day of Judgement' (مالک یوم الدین). Thus there exists a very striking resemblance and a deep connection between these two sets of Divine attributes.
a
20:115; 22:63; 24:26.
وَهُوَ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْحَمْدُ فِى ٱلْأُولَىٰ وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۖ وَلَهُ ٱلْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
Commentary:
The words, "To Him belongs all praise in the beginning and the Hereafter," signify that it is not possible to begin a work unless God provides the means for it and that no work can become complete unless He has provided the means for its completion, and that it can produce no result without His help. The expression الا ولٰی و آلاخرة may also signify respectively the Mosaic and Islamic Dispensations.
2926
Commentary:
The words, "To Him belongs all praise in the beginning and the Hereafter," signify that it is not possible to begin a work unless God provides the means for it and that no work can become complete unless He has provided the means for its completion, and that it can produce no result without His help. The expression الا ولٰی و آلاخرة may also signify respectively the Mosaic and Islamic Dispensations.
إِنَّ إِلَٰهَكُمْ لَوَٰحِدٌ
5:74; 16:23; 22:35.
5:74; 16:23; 22:35.
These verses (2-5) embody both a prophecy and a statement of fact. As a statement of fact they signify that there live in all times and among every people a group of righteous and God-fearing men who, by word and deed and by precept and practice, bear testimony to the truth that God is One. As a prophecy, however, the verses signify that though at present the whole of Arabia is sunk deep in idol-worship and moral turpitude, yet a community of the Faithful will soon be born who not only will themselves glorify God and sing His praises and make the whole country resound with their hosannas but will also succeed in establishing Divine Unity in the land. Thus the Companions of the Holy Prophet, some of whose characteristics are mentioned in these verses, are cited as witnesses to the Unity of God. The verses may have yet another interpretation, viz. that if a representative gathering of the learned men of various Faiths were held in a peaceful atmosphere and the basic religious principles were discussed and de
b
5:74; 16:23; 22:35.
a
5:74; 16:23; 22:35.
3274
Commentary:
See preceding verse.
b
5:74; 16:23; 22:35.
2469
These verses (2-5) embody both a prophecy and a statement of fact. As a statement of fact they signify that there live in all times and among every people a group of righteous and God-fearing men who, by word and deed and by precept and practice, bear testimony to the truth that God is One. As a prophecy, however, the verses signify that though at present the whole of Arabia is sunk deep in idol-worship and moral turpitude, yet a community of the Faithful will soon be born who not only will themselves glorify God and sing His praises and make the whole country resound with their hosannas but will also succeed in establishing Divine Unity in the land. Thus the Companions of the Holy Prophet, some of whose characteristics are mentioned in these verses, are cited as witnesses to the Unity of God. The verses may have yet another interpretation, viz. that if a representative gathering of the learned men of various Faiths were held in a peaceful atmosphere and the basic religious principles were discussed and de