Topic: Ar-Rabb (The Lord)

6:2; 6:46; 10:11; 18:2; 29:64; 30:19; 31:26; 34:2; 35:2; 37:183; 39:76; 45:37.

Important Words:

ال (Al) is more or less like the definite article 'the' of the English language. It is used to convey a number of senses one of which is that of totality. So الحمد would mean, all kinds of praise.

حمد (praise). They say حمده i.e. he praised him. Thus حمد means 'praise'. There are four words in Arabic which are used, in varying significance, in the sense of praise or thankfulness; viz. شکر, ثنا, مدح and حمد. Of these God has here chosen the last. Shukr, when used about man, expresses recognition of and thankfulness for benefits received, whereas Hamd not only embodies the idea of thankfulness but also makes reference to the intrinsic qualities of the object of praise. Thana indicates an idea of publicity, the root meaning of the word being repetition. The emphasis in Thana is more on publicity than on personal experience. Madh gives a somewhat similar meaning as Hamd but whereas Madh may be false, Hamd is always true. Says the Holy Prophet: احثوا التراب فی وجوه المداحین i.e. "Throw dust in the faces of those who praise falsely." Again Madh may be used about such acts of goodness over which the doer has no control, but Hamd is used only about such acts as are volitional (Mufradat). Hamd also implies admiration, magnifying and honouring of the object of praise, and lowliness, humility and submissiveness in the person who offers it (Lane). Thus Hamd was the most appropriate word to be used here, where a reference to the intrinsic goodness and truly merited praise and glorification of God is intended. In common usage the word Hamd has come to be applied exclusively to God.

رب (Lord). رب الشیء means: he gathered together the thing; he owned the thing. رب القیوم means: he ruled over the people and administered their affairs. رب النعمة means: he increased and developed the favour. رب الامر means: he improved and completed the matter. رب الصبیی means: he sustained and looked after the child till he was of age. رب means, lord, master or owner; one to whom obedience is due; one who reforms; one who sustains and develops (Aqrab & Lisan); one who brings to perfection by degrees (Mufradat). رب also means: Creator (Muhit). When used in combination with some other word, the word may be used for others besides God, as we say رب البیت i.e. the owner of the house (Lane).

العالمین (worlds) is the plural of العالم which is derived from علم i.e. he knew. علم (‘alama) means, he put a mark or sign on it. العلم means: the proper name by which a person or thing is known; flag or banner; sign; minaret. العالم primarily means, that by means of which one knows a thing. Hence, the word has come to be applied to all beings or things by means of which one is able to know the Creator (Aqrab). The word is applied not only to all kinds of created beings or things but also to their classes collectively, so that one says عالم الانس i.e. the world of mankind, or عالم الحیوان i.e. the animal kingdom. The word al-‘alamin is not used to denote rational beings—men and angels—only. The Quran applies the word to all created things (26:24-29 & 41:10). Sometimes, of course, it is used in a restricted sense. Thus in 25:2 it is used in the sense of 'mankind' only and not in the sense of 'all created things.' In 2:123 it is used in a still more restricted sense, meaning not all mankind but only the people of the age.

In the verse under comment the word is used in its widest sense and signifies 'all that is besides Allah', i.e. both those that have life and those that have not, including heavenly bodies, the sun, the moon, the stars, etc.

Commentary:

The believer is taught to say, All praise belongs to Allah, and not "I praise Allah" or "we praise Allah." The sentence الحمدللّٰه (all praise belongs to Allah) denotes much more than احمداللّٰه (I praise Allah), because man can praise God only according to his knowledge, but الحمدللّٰه (all praise belongs to Allah) comprises not only the praise which man knows, but also the praise which he does not know, to be God’s due. God is worthy of praise at all times, independently of man’s imperfect knowledge or realization. Moreover, if the expression احمداللّٰه (I praise Allah) had been used, it would have implied that man, a finite being, can completely comprehend the infinite, an implication which is obviously wrong.

The word الحمد is an infinitive and as such can be interpreted both subjectively and objectively. Interpreted subjectively الحمدللّٰه would mean that God alone has the right to bestow true praise. No other being is entitled to give such praise, owing to his limited knowledge. Interpreted objectively, it would signify that true praise is due to God alone. The praise due to other beings and objects is only borrowed and secondary. It is God Who provides everything and grants all powers and capacities. Therefore, when a person or thing is praised, it is really God to Whom the praise belongs, the person or thing being entitled to it only secondarily.

The verse, All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, conveys, among others, the following meanings:

1. Allah is free from all blemishes and possesses all perfect attributes.

2. He alone is fully aware of the real nature of all things. The truth of this statement is verified by the daily multiplying discoveries of science which go to prove how inadequate human knowledge ever remains.

3. God can be entitled to "all praise" only when He is believed to be رب العالمین i.e. Lord of all the worlds and if He is Lord of all the worlds, then His providence must not only be universal but must extend to both the physical and the spiritual worlds. From the above it follows that no people must remain deprived of God’s spiritual blessings and all must have their share. Therefore, if any revelation is meant for a particular people, other peoples must have separate revelations to guide them, as was the case in pre-Islamic times. On the contrary, if, at a certain time, separate revelations are not sent for different peoples and only one revelation is sent, that revelation must claim to be universal, affording equal opportunities to all peoples, as is the case with Islam; otherwise, God cannot be looked upon as "Lord of all the worlds", nor can He be considered to be entitled to "all praise". In fact, the belief that revelation is the privilege of a particular people to the exclusion of all others who cannot claim any share in it, is false and repugnant to God’s universal provi­dence as well as to His entitlement to all praise.

4. The powers and faculties with which man is endowed are all gifts of God. So it is He Who is deserving of praise for any good that may be done by man.

5. By linking up the clause "all praise belongs to Allah" with the phrase "Lord of all the worlds" God has drawn our attention to the fact that one man’s good is really linked to, and dependent on, the good of all mankind. A true believer should, therefore, look not only to his own good but to the good of all. One who does not do so has failed to grasp the true spirit of Islam and the universality of God’s providence. Happiness for one lies in happiness for all.

6. The phrase رب العالمین (Lord of all the worlds) also points out that as things which grow, develop and change cannot do so by themselves, so is all life subject to God’s lordship.

The phrase further points to a law of evolution in the world, that things undergo development and that this development is progressive and is brought about in stages, Rabb being the One Who makes things grow and develop by stages.

The verse also points out that the principle of evolution is not inconsistent with belief in God. On the contrary, the progressive deve­lopment of things makes creation all the more marvellous and God all the more deserving of praise. It must, however, be noted that the process of evolution referred to here is not identical with the theory of evolution as ordinarily understood; the expression is used here only in a general sense.

7. Again, the verse points to the fact that man has been created for unlimited progress, because the phrase رب العالمین implies that God develops everything from a lower to a higher stage, and this can be true only if there is a stage beyond every stage in a never-ending process.

8. Finally, by putting the verse الحمداللّٰه رب العالمین in the very beginning of the Quran, a declaration is made that the time of separate revelations has come to an end, and that God is now going to bestow a universal revelation upon the world. When separate Prophets were raised for separate nations, ignorant people, not understanding the purpose of God, rejected the Prophets of other nations; but, with the advent of Islam, one Prophet and one religion were given to all mankind, and the different peoples inhabiting the world—white, yellow, brown and black—were all invited to sing one common hymn in praise of Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

4:2, 37; 5:73, 118; 16:37; 22:78; 51:57.

Important Words:

رب (Lord). For the meaning of this word see note on 1:2. In the present verse God Himself explains the meaning of the word رب by saying ربكم الذی خلقكم i.e. your Rabb is He Who has created you. This meaning, though absolutely correct, is not found in the ordinary lexicons, which interpret it simply as Lord and Sustainer. The full meaning of the word thus turns out to be "Lord, Creator and Sustainer".

لعل (so that) is generally used to denote expectation, or doubt combined with expectation. That is why Christian translators have generally rendered it as, haply or peradventure or perhaps. But this rendering is clearly wrong in the present context; for, as explained by Lane, the word when used by God generally signifies not doubt but certainty. In fact, God’s announcements are in the nature of royal proclamations in which such words are used not to express doubt resulting from ignorance but to express hope born of certainty. The word has therefore been rightly rendered here as, that or so that. Sometimes it may be rendered as, may be.

Commentary:

As we have seen, the Quran began with the claim that the best Book of guidance can only come from a Being Who is All-Knowing and that such a being is Allah, the Creator and Sustainer of the world, Who has sent down the Quran for the guidance and perfection of mankind. This Book is (1) a perfect treasure-house of all that is good and valuable, (2) is free from all defects, and (3) does not stop short at any stage of spiritual progress but carries men and women of all grades of righteousness to higher and still higher stages, and so on to unlimited progress. Having made this claim, the Quran proceeds to give a brief description of the three classes: believers, disbelievers and hypocrites.

Attention is then drawn to the fact that as the Quran enables the righteous to make greater and greater spiritual progress, everybody should try to become one of the righteous and earn the spiritual benefits of the Quran. Says the Quran: O ye men! worship your Lord (i.e. enter into His service)…that you may become righteous.

Worship demands complete subjection, and the sense of subjection is generated in its perfection only when one and one’s forefathers are all under obligation. History tells us that lives have been sacrificed for the sake of cruel kings simply because the ancestors of those kings had done some good to the ancestors of the people making the sacrifice. The feeling of obligation becomes stronger as generation after generation is laid under obligation. Therefore, it is a perfectly natural appeal which is made in the verse in the words: O ye men, worship your Lord Who created you and those who were before you.

The verse then proceeds to make it clear that the object of worship is not merely recognising and acknowledging God. If it were so, the worship of idols, however unjust, would not be so injurious. God is worshipped for the sake of attaining righteousness and spiritual perfection. How can false gods make man perfect spiritually, when they have not created him and have no knowledge of his powers or limitations?

The words لعلكم تتقون (that you may become righteous) clearly point out that the command to worship is not for the benefit of God. It is for the benefit of man himself. Those who regard the Law as a curse look upon it only as a mere show of authority on the part of God. But the Quran clearly states that God’s commands are for the guidance of man. They help to nurture all his latent powers. Such a teaching cannot be a curse. He who warns a blind person of a pit lying in front of him does not curse him. A doctor who prescribes for a suffering patient does no wrong to him.

There is another point to be remembered. The word رب means, He Who creates and then develops by degrees. At the birth of man, the foundation is laid for his perfect future development. If worship, on his part, does not lead to the perfection of his latent powers, it is no worship at all. It is a mere facade or a lifeless form.

The clause لعلكم تتقون (that you may become righteous) teaches us to avoid not only those things which impair man’s relation with God but also those which impair the relation between man and man. He who regards God as his Creator and Sustainer will look to Him for his needs and will not cast greedy looks at the wealth of others. He can never be untrue to his fellow men, and will remain always at peace with them. The Companions of the Holy Prophet lived for God and looked up only to Him. The peace which the world witnessed in their time remains unparalleled. Indeed there can be no peace, unless we are devoted to God. If Europe had been so devoted, she would not have been suffering from the mortal disease now eating into her vitals—the hunger for land and wealth.

This verse contains the first command of God given in the Quran. As the words, O ye men, indicate, this command to worship God is addressed to all mankind and not to Arabs only, which shows that Islam, from the very beginning, claimed to be universal. It abolished the idea of national religion and conceived mankind as one brotherhood.

The question "Who is to be worshipped" is answered by the word رب (Creator) in order to disavow false gods who have created nothing and are themselves created.

Men are actuated either by love or fear. In this verse appeal is made to both motives. Love either springs from حسن i.e. beauty of the beloved, or from a feeling of احسان i.e. favour received from same one. God is beauty and the source of all beauty. One aspect of His beauty is that He creates man in a very low condition and then by degrees develops and raises him to the highest mark of perfection. The feeling of obligation is appealed to by saying "Your Lord is He Who created you and your fathers".

It is curious that when Jesus was asked, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" he said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the great and first commandment" (Matt. 22:36, 37). But this commandment which Jesus calls the great commandment in the Law is not presented in the beginning of the New Testament. It comes much later and then only when people asked Jesus about it, although as regards importance it should have been given the first place. In the Old Testament also this commandment occurs in later chapters. So is the case with other Scriptures. None gives it the first place. Only the Quran does so.

33:71; 59:19.

7:190; 16:73; 30:22; 39:7.

Important Words:

رقیبا (Watcher) is derived from رقب. They say رقبه i.e. he watched him; or guarded him; or waited for him; or he kept or preserved it. رقیبis one of God’s attributes meaning, Watcher, Guardian, Keeper; One from Whom nothing is hidden.رقیب also means, an observer; a spy (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The words نفس واحدة (single soul) may signify: (1) Adam; or (2) man and woman taken together, because when two things jointly perform one function, they may be spoken of as one. For instance, 2:62 speaks of one food, while it consisted of manna and quails; or (3) man and woman taken individually, because mankind may be said to have been created from one "single soul" in the sense that each and every individual is created from the seed of man who is "one soul" and is also born of woman who is likewise "one soul".

The expression, and created therefrom its mate, does not mean that woman was created out of the body of man but that she belonged to the same kind and species as man, having the same nature and the same propensities. The meaning of this expression becomes clear when elsewhere we read in the Quran: And Allah has made for you mates from among yourselves (16:73); and He has made for you pairs of your own selves, and of the cattle also pairs (42:12). This means that, like other human beings, a wife was provided for Adam from his own species. And just as other men’s wives are not created from their ribs, so was the wife of Adam not created out of his ribs; and just as our wives have been made from ourselves in the sense that they are of the same kind as ourselves, so was the wife of Adam created from his rib in the sense that she belonged to the same race as Adam did. The preposition من (from) which has given rise to this misconception has been used in the Quran not only about Adam but about other men as well (e.g. 4:60; 9:128; 10:3; 62:3, 4), and in both cases it should mean the same thing, i.e. belonging to the same kind or species. The Quran lends no support whatever to the view that Eve was actually created from the rib of Adam, as is clear from the following verses: We have created you in pairs (78:9); And of everything have We created pairs (51:50), which means that, just as God created a mate for every living thing, so did He make one for Adam. He did not need to depart from this law in respect of Adam and to create a female for him out of his own body.

The idea of Eve having been created out of the rib of Adam seems to have arisen from a saying of the Holy Prophet to the effect "Women have been created from a rib, and surely, the most crooked part of a rib is the highest part thereof. If you set yourself to straighten it, you will break it" (Bukhari, ch. on Nikah). This hadith is, however, an argument against the above view rather than in favour of it, for it makes no mention of Eve, and speaks of all women, and it is clear that every woman has not been created from a rib.

The expression "created from a rib" is evidently figurative and must not be taken literally. What it means is only that, like unto a rib, there is a sort of crookedness in the nature of woman and that this very crookedness lends charm to her. An analogous Quranic expression, viz.: خلق الانسان من عجل i.e. "man is made of (lit. from) haste" (21:38) helps to illustrate the point. These words clearly do not mean that man has been created out of a substance called عجل or haste. They mean only that man is hasty by nature. The above view has been supported by Majma‘ul Bihar, Bahrul-Muhit and Sirajul-Wahhaj, which all agree that in the above hadith the Arabic word ضلع means a certain crookedness of manners, the word itself meaning crookedness.

In fact, this hadith refers to a certain peculiarity of woman, viz. her affectation of displeasure and coquetry. This "crookedness" has been spoken of in the hadith as the highest or the best trait in her character, and those, who take affectation of anger on her part as an expression of her real anger and begin to deal harshly with her for that reason, in fact destroy woman’s most attractive and winning feature.

The verse places "the fear of God", side by side with "respect for the ties of relationship", thus emphasizing the importance of good treatment of relatives, on which the Quran lays so much stress. The Holy Prophet used to recite this verse when delivering a marriage sermon in order to remind the parties of their duties to one another.

Commentary:

The expression, I am not going to stretch out my hand against thee to kill thee, does not mean that Abel did not even desire to defend himself. These words only mean that if he were forced to stretch forth his hand towards his brother, it would not be with the intention of slaying him, but only in self-defence. The declaration was necessary, for there are cases in which both the slayer and the slain become equally guilty. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said that not unoften "both the slayer and the slain go to Hell." This hadith obviously refers to such slain persons as engage in a fight with the intention of killing their opponents, but it so happens that the latter get the better of them and kill them. In such cases, the intention of both parties being equally criminal, both are guilty and both deserve to be cast into Hell. But Abel, who desired to live righteously and die righteously, would not stain his conduct even in a moment of extreme danger and wanted to take good care that he did not overstep the limits of the right of self-defence.

4:172; 5:18; 9:30.

5:118; 19:37.

Commentary:

That Jesus taught the Israelites to worship God alone is apparent even from the Gospels in their present distorted form (e.g. Matt. 4:10; Luke 4:8). Also see 5:18.

5:73; 19:37.

3:56; 19:16.

Important Words:

توفیتنی (Thou didst cause me to die). See 2:235 & 3:56.

Commentary:

For the corroboration of the first sentence of this verse, i.e. the teaching of Jesus about the worship of God alone, see Matt. 4:10 & Luke 4: 8.

The latter portion of the verse conclusively proves two things: (1) that Jesus is dead and not alive, as supposed by most of present-day Muslims: (2) that he is not to return to this earth a second time in his own person. The inference is beyond any shadow of doubt. From the verse it is clear that no interval intervened between Jesus’ life on this earth and his death. As long as he was alive, he kept a careful watch over his follow-ers and saw to it that they did not deviate from the right path, but he did not know what occurred to them after his death. This shows: (1) that it was by death and not by his supposed ascension to heaven that Jesus became separated from his people, and (2) that it was only after his death that his people deified him. Now, as his followers have already gone astray, it definitely follows that Jesus is dead, for, as the verse points out, it was after his death that he began to be worshipped as God.

Similarly, the fact that this verse speaks of Jesus as expressing ignorance of his followers having taken him and his mother for gods after he had left them, proves that he is not to come back to this earth. For, if he were to come back to this earth and see with his own eyes the corruption of his followers, he could not express ignorance of his deification by his people. In that case, the answer of Jesus pleading his ignorance would amount to a veritable lie. Thus, the verse definitely and clearly proves that Jesus is dead and that he will never come back to this world. For a detailed discussion of the question of the death of Jesus and his non-ascension to heaven with his physical body, see 3:56 & 4:159.

6:151; 27:61.

Important Words:

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

Commentary:

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

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

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

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

7:73; 15:67.

Important Words:

دابر (last remnant) is derived from دبر. They say دبرہ i.e. he followed behind his back; or he followed him with respect to place, time or rank. ادبر means, he went turning his back, or he turned back. دبر means, the back or the hinder part; latter or the last part. دابر means, person or thing following behind the back; last remains of a people; the root, stock, race, or the like (Lane).

Commentary:

The words قطع دابر القوم (the last remnant of the people was cut off) mean: (1) the people were cut off to the last man, i.e.the whole people were cut off; (2) the leaders of the people were cut off just as a tree is cut down to its roots, the leaders occupying the position of the roots; (3) the leaders’ followers were cut off, i.e. the leaders were deprived of their political power, for it is on the strength of their followers that the political power of the leaders depends.

Apparently, there is no occasion here for saying, All praise belongs to Allah, for these words are spoken on an occasion when one receives a favour from God and is thankful to Him. When, however, one is afflicted with a misfortune, then the words which suit the occasion and which Muslims are bidden to recite are إنا لله و إنا إلیه راجعون i.e. Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return (2:157). The apparent incongruity is, however, easily explained. The words الحمد لله (all praise belongs to Allah) have been used here in order to point out that the cutting-off of what is injurious is in fact a thing to feel grateful for, and not a matter of regret. When a limb becomes diseased and is incurable, we get it amputated and cheerfully pay the fee to the surgeon for the operation, and also express our thanks to him. Just as a diseased limb is amputated to save the rest of the body, it sometimes becomes necessary to cut off that section of mankind which has become corrupt, so that the infection may not spoil all of humanity.

7:141.

17:16; 35:19; 53:39.

Commentary:

The verse supplies the reason why one should be devoted to God, for He alone is "the Lord of all things". The verse also makes it clear that on the day when man will be presented before God and will render an account of his deeds, nobody will be able to take upon himself a part of his burden. The word "burden" here signifies "sin". In the words, bearer of burden, it is also hinted that this principle applies only to human beings who are the bearers of burdens; but that if God so willed, He could Himself remove the burden of a soul, i.e. pardon it.

14:24; 36:59.

Commentary:

The verse purports to say that on having been endowed with the rewards of Heaven and on experiencing its supreme bliss, the believers will at once cry out, Glory be to Thee, O Allah. This glorification will be spontaneous and instinctive, because in Heaven the true reality of things will become manifest to all. Even in this life a true believer praises and glorifies God whenever he sees a praiseworthy thing, the inward reality of which he does not know. He does so because he knows that no work of God is devoid of wisdom. But in Heaven, the reality of all things will become apparent to man. He will come to realize on the basis of his personal observation and experience that every work of God is founded in deep wisdom. The realization of this eternal truth will make him exclaim instinctively and involuntarily, Glory be to Thee, o Allah.

The verse proceeds to say that believers in Heaven will salute each other with the greeting of peace. In fact, all our sufferings (i.e. lack of peace) in this world are due to our ignorance of the true reality and properties of things and, as these will be disclosed to us in Heaven, we shall attain there complete and real peace, for we shall then become secure against all harm by knowing the true properties of all things and will get complete freedom from pain and suffering. Hence, after glorifying God on learning the realities of things and experiencing the complete bliss of Heaven, believers will go about exclaiming, "There is peace here, nothing but peace", for, after attaining perfect knowledge of things, they will no longer suffer by making wrong use of them.

Finally, when believers will see perfect peace reigning in Heaven and will have vented their happy feelings to one another, they will turn again to God and the conclusion of their prayer will be, "All praise be to Allah, Who has placed us in such a place of perfect bliss."

3:44; 41:38; 96:20.

Important Words:

ارکعوا (bow down) is derived from رکع which means, he bowed down, his condition became lowered or abased. رکعت النخلةmeans, the palm-tree inclined. رکع الی اللّٰه means he completely turned towards God and leaned upon Him, he humbled himself to Him, and found peace of mind in Him. The word راکع as used by the Arabs meant, one who worshipped God alone to the exclusion of all sorts of idols and images (Asas). The famous pre-Islamic poet Nabighah says:

سیبلغ عذراً اونجاحاً من امرئ

الی ربه رب البریة راکع

i.e. he who turns to God alone, the Creator of the world, will have a sound argument in his favour and will obtain salvation ( Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The verse points to the following four means which it is very essential to adopt for attaining spiritual eminence and success and prosperity in life: (a) To possess firm, sincere and unadulterated faith in God. This is the meaning of the word آمنوا. (b) To have full and complete reliance and dependence on God and to renounce all unfair and doubtful means for the attainment of one’s object. This is the significance of ارکعوا. (c) To give unquestioning obedience to God’s commandments and unqualified submission to His will, and to develop in oneself Divine attributes so as to become God’s own manifestation. This is the import and purport of the expression واسجدوا واعبدوا (d) To do righteous deeds and serve mankind (وافعلواالخیر). Thus this brief verse covers the entire extent and scope of the ways and means that lead to material and moral progress.

40:8; 69:18.

Commentary:

God’s attributes will see their most complete manifestation on the Judgement Day and the cherubs will be on duty singing alleluias to the Divine Being. "The angels" in the verse may also refer to the Companions of the Holy Prophet who seeing God’s promises being fulfilled before their very eyes sang praises to Divine glory, majesty and holiness as no people had ever done before, and never was judgement made so clear between right and wrong as was made in the time of the Holy Prophet. This seems to be the significance of the verse.

The word عرش(Throne), for which see 10:4, represents the transcendent attributes of God such as His glory, majesty, holiness and power. These attributes have an intimate connection with Unity, as is clear from 23:117, where we read: There is no God but He, the Lord of the Exalted Throne, for it is the transcendent attributes of God which constitute the real proof of His Unity, as His other attributes are shared by man. In this sense of the word عرش (Throne), the verse would mean that the Unity of God will become established in Arabia, and God’s true servants in the world together with the angels in heavens, will celebrate His praises.

The words, "Thou wilt see the angels going round the Throne," may mean that angels will sing God’s praises continuously and in unison.