Topic: Sinners Are Like
View Aspects
وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ وَٱلْإِنسِ ۖ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ ءَاذَانٌ لَّا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَآ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ كَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْغَٰفِلُونَ
2:8; 22:47; 45:24.
25:45.
Lam is Lam-e-‘Aqibat denoting end or result. The verse has thus nothing to do with the object of man’s creation but only makes mention of the regrettable end of the life of many a man and jinn, (the latter word also meaning a special class of men, i.e. rulers or chiefs or great men). From the way in which they pass their days in sin and iniquity it seems as if they have been created for Hell.
2:8; 22:47; 45:24.
25:45.
Important Words:
The particle ل in the expression لجھنم is used to denote "end or result" and not "object" of the creation of the jinn and men. Such use is in perfect conformity with the idiom of the Arabic language, the لام in such a case being known as لام عاقبة(Lane).
Commentary:
The verse does not at all mean that men and jinn were created to be thrown into Hell. The use of the word "many" also belies that inference. Their creation, in fact, is intended to serve a great purpose (see 51:57). The present verse has thus nothing to do with the object of man’s creation, but only mentions the regrettable end of the life of many a man and jinn, the latter word also meaning a special class of men, i.e. rulers or chiefs or great men. They lead an evil life, the inevitable result of which is Hell. But from the way in which they spend their days in sin and iniquity it seems as if they were only created for Hell. The verse gives a brief but perfect description of those destined for Hell. They are the people whom God had endowed with understanding and with the faculty of perception and sight. They were blessed with all the necessary means by which they could find out and follow the right path and attain nearness to their Maker; but out of their perversity and waywardness they did not avail themselves of those means, with the result that they wandered away from the truth and fell into error. It was not, therefore, for Hell but for Heaven that God created them, but they themselves forsook the path of Heaven and chose the path of Hell.
The condition of such men is indeed worse than that of "cattle", because in spite of the fact that they possess understanding and the power to rise, they do not avail themselves of their understanding and, instead of rising (for which they are meant) ever go on falling lower and lower.
a
2:8; 22:47; 45:24.
b
25:45.
b
2:8; 22:47; 45:24.
c
25:45.
1066
Important Words:
The particle ل in the expression لجھنم is used to denote "end or result" and not "object" of the creation of the jinn and men. Such use is in perfect conformity with the idiom of the Arabic language, the لام in such a case being known as لام عاقبة(Lane).
Commentary:
The verse does not at all mean that men and jinn were created to be thrown into Hell. The use of the word "many" also belies that inference. Their creation, in fact, is intended to serve a great purpose (see 51:57). The present verse has thus nothing to do with the object of man’s creation, but only mentions the regrettable end of the life of many a man and jinn, the latter word also meaning a special class of men, i.e. rulers or chiefs or great men. They lead an evil life, the inevitable result of which is Hell. But from the way in which they spend their days in sin and iniquity it seems as if they were only created for Hell. The verse gives a brief but perfect description of those destined for Hell. They are the people whom God had endowed with understanding and with the faculty of perception and sight. They were blessed with all the necessary means by which they could find out and follow the right path and attain nearness to their Maker; but out of their perversity and waywardness they did not avail themselves of those means, with the result that they wandered away from the truth and fell into error. It was not, therefore, for Hell but for Heaven that God created them, but they themselves forsook the path of Heaven and chose the path of Hell.
The condition of such men is indeed worse than that of "cattle", because in spite of the fact that they possess understanding and the power to rise, they do not avail themselves of their understanding and, instead of rising (for which they are meant) ever go on falling lower and lower.
a
2:8; 22:47; 45:24.
b
25:45.
1075
Lam is Lam-e-‘Aqibat denoting end or result. The verse has thus nothing to do with the object of man’s creation but only makes mention of the regrettable end of the life of many a man and jinn, (the latter word also meaning a special class of men, i.e. rulers or chiefs or great men). From the way in which they pass their days in sin and iniquity it seems as if they have been created for Hell.
أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ ۚ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ ۖ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا
7:180.
7:180.
It is his own desires, fancies and preconceived ideas, more than anything else, that man generally adores and it is these that stand in the way of his accepting the truth. Intellectually man may have advanced far enough so as not to bow before stones and stars, but he has not outgrown the worship of his false ideals, prejudices and preconceived ideas. It is these idols that lie enthroned in his heart whose worship is condemned here. When instead of making use of his God-given faculties of intellect and hearing, which should help man to recognise and realize truth, he chooses to grope in darkness, he comes down to the level of cattle, even lower than that, because cattle are not given the gift of discretion and discrimination while man is.
7:180.
Commentary:
The verse purports to say that when in spite of his being endowed with the faculties of intellect and hearing which should help him to recognize and realize truth, man refuses to make proper use of these God-given faculties to see light, and instead chooses to grope in darkness, he comes down to the level of cattle, even lower than that, because cattle are not given the gift of discretion and discrimination while man is.
The verse also implies an allusion to the great reformation brought about by the Holy Prophet in the lives of his people. They were no better than animals and beasts. They worshipped images and held foolish and superstitious ideas. They gambled and drank and indulged in extreme sexual excesses and depleted and destroyed their manhood by fighting for generations about trivialities. They had no idea of moral virtues or at best had a very low concept of them and did not know economics or statecraft. Such were the people among whom the Holy Prophet Muhammad was raised and history bears witness to the fact that he wrought a wonderful reformation among them. From the dregs of humanity they rose to be its cream.
a
7:180.
b
7:180.
2677
Commentary:
The verse purports to say that when in spite of his being endowed with the faculties of intellect and hearing which should help him to recognize and realize truth, man refuses to make proper use of these God-given faculties to see light, and instead chooses to grope in darkness, he comes down to the level of cattle, even lower than that, because cattle are not given the gift of discretion and discrimination while man is.
The verse also implies an allusion to the great reformation brought about by the Holy Prophet in the lives of his people. They were no better than animals and beasts. They worshipped images and held foolish and superstitious ideas. They gambled and drank and indulged in extreme sexual excesses and depleted and destroyed their manhood by fighting for generations about trivialities. They had no idea of moral virtues or at best had a very low concept of them and did not know economics or statecraft. Such were the people among whom the Holy Prophet Muhammad was raised and history bears witness to the fact that he wrought a wonderful reformation among them. From the dregs of humanity they rose to be its cream.
a
7:180.
2080
It is his own desires, fancies and preconceived ideas, more than anything else, that man generally adores and it is these that stand in the way of his accepting the truth. Intellectually man may have advanced far enough so as not to bow before stones and stars, but he has not outgrown the worship of his false ideals, prejudices and preconceived ideas. It is these idols that lie enthroned in his heart whose worship is condemned here. When instead of making use of his God-given faculties of intellect and hearing, which should help man to recognise and realize truth, he chooses to grope in darkness, he comes down to the level of cattle, even lower than that, because cattle are not given the gift of discretion and discrimination while man is.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ جَنَّٰتٍ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ ۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمُ وَٱلنَّارُ مَثْوًى لَّهُمْ
14:31; 77:47.
14:31; 77:47.
Whereas believers eat to live in order to serve God and man, the disbelievers live to eat and have no nobler objects to pursue. They do not rise above the level of animals as their whole concept of life is materialistic.
14:24; 22:24; 29:10.
14:31; 15:4; 77:47.
Commentary:
The believers make use of the things of the world and eat and drink as do the disbelievers, but whereas the former eat to live in order to serve God and man, the latter live to eat, drink, and be merry, and have no nobler objects to pursue. They do not rise above the level of animals as their whole concept of life is materialistic.
c
14:31; 77:47.
a
14:24; 22:24; 29:10.
b
14:31; 15:4; 77:47.
3797
Commentary:
The believers make use of the things of the world and eat and drink as do the disbelievers, but whereas the former eat to live in order to serve God and man, the latter live to eat, drink, and be merry, and have no nobler objects to pursue. They do not rise above the level of animals as their whole concept of life is materialistic.
b
14:31; 77:47.
2746
Whereas believers eat to live in order to serve God and man, the disbelievers live to eat and have no nobler objects to pursue. They do not rise above the level of animals as their whole concept of life is materialistic.