يَكُونُوا۟

5:37; 10:55; 13:19.

Commentary:

The expression "Day of Resurrection" in the verse may apply both to the last Judgement Day and the day of the final triumph of Islam. That great event took place before the very eyes of disbelievers, when idolatry departed from Arabia never to return. The disbelievers could never conceive of such an event taking place. This may be the significance of the words, but there shall appear unto them from Allah that which they never thought. Or the words may mean that evil consequences of the evil deeds which disbelievers did in this life will appear before them in an embodied form in the life to come, and of that eventuality they had no idea.

Important Words:

عسی (may be) is meant to express desire or hope of obtaining something good or to express fear lest one should fall into an evil way (Aqrab). The word thus implies either desire or hope of good or fear of evil. They say عسی زید ان یقوم i.e. Zaid is near to standing; or I eagerly desire or I hope that Zaid may be performing the act of standing; or it may be that Zaid is, or will be, standing. عسیmay thus be explained as meaning, it may be that, or simply may be. When uttered by God, the word is expressive of an event of necessary occurrence (Lane). See also the meaning of the word لعل under 2:22. Though desire or hope are not attributable to God, yet the words لعل and عسی are used by God to point to the fact that a certain thing is such that people may base their desire or hope on it (Mufradat).

Commentary:

The prosperity of a Mosque of God, and for that matter of the Ka‘bah itself, lies in the fulfilment of the noble object for which it is built. This object is the glorification and the remembrance of the name of God in it; and certainly this object is much the better realized by prohibiting those from visiting it who, instead of glorifying God, attribute co-partners to Him, and by encouraging and exhorting true believers to frequent it.

The words, these it is who may be among those who reach the goal, signify that, since believers are destined to prosper, even the material prosperity of the Ka‘bah will not suffer from the exclusion of infidels; for, believers will go on pilgrimage to it in ever-increasing numbers.

9:81, 93.

6:26; 63:4.

Important Words:

خوالف (womenfolk) is the plural of both خالف and خالفة which are active participles from the verb خلف which means, he remained or came after. خالف means, one who remains behind or after others, particularly in case of war, the word خالفةbeing its feminine gender. So خوالف means, those who remain behind during war; or the women (or children) remaining behind in houses or tents. The word also signifies, bad or corrupt persons (Lane). See also 7:70 & 170.

Commentary:

For the meaning of the words, their hearts are sealed, see 2:8 & 4:156.

9:79, 87.

6:26; 9:87; 63:4.

Important Words:

For an explanation of the words, Set seal upon their hearts, see 2:8 & 4:156.

26:213.

Commentary:

Those who forge lies against God (see v. 19) can never succeed in their wicked plans but only become involved in the meshes of their own schemes and stratagems.

God cannot be their friend and helper because of their fabricating lies against Him, and as God, the Lord of the universe, is angry with them, their own friends and sympathizers can be of no help to them.

The word یضاعف (will be doubled) being derived from ضعف (for which see 3:131), which means both "the double of a thing" or "an unlimited addition," is used here in both these senses. The punishment of disbelievers will be doubled in the sense that they will be punished both for their own sins and for the sins of those whom they misled. In the second sense, the verse means that their punishment will continue to increase absolutely; for by preaching and disseminating a false teaching they sowed the seeds of evil in the world, and as long as that evil subsists their punishment will continue.

Surprise is expressed in the words, They can neither hear, nor can they see, at those who falsely claim to be Divine Messengers. It is pointed out that although both true and false prophets have passed before them, yet they would not try to see what a miserable end the false prophets came to nor would they listen to the stories of their lives.

6:150; 16:10.

2:257; 18:30.

Commentary:

As the previous verse expressed a desire on the part of God that all men should believe, therefore there is likely to arise in the minds of some people the question why God, Who is All-Powerful, does not carry out His wish and force all men to believe. This question has been very beautifully answered in this verse, which says that if God had exercised compulsion to carry out His wish, He would not have confined His compulsion to one people but would have guided all who are in the earth. But He does not resort to compulsion and has left the matter of faith to the option of individuals, although He desires all His creatures to follow guidance and rise spiritually.

The clause, Wilt thou then force men to become believers?, is capable of two interpretations: (1) It may be taken as an argument in support of the statement made in the first part of the verse. In this case it would mean that God cannot resort to compulsion in the matter of faith, for to compel a person to accept a certain religion can serve no useful purpose. The Quran thus asks the Holy Prophet if he would like to force men to accept his faith against their will and, implying an answer in the negative,—for the Prophet would never countenance compulsion—the verse declares that God, Who knows the secrets of all hearts, cannot have recourse to compulsion. (2) The verse may also be taken to be addressed to each and every believer and to say to him that the denial of truth by disbelievers should not so enrage anyone as to make him resort to compelling men to accept it, arguing that when God, Who is the Lord and Master of all beings, does not use force, no mortal has any right to do so. Whichever of these two interpretations may be put upon this verse, it is clear beyond any shadow of doubt that Islam does not allow the use of force for its propagation.

Important Words:

أیامٰی (widows) is the plural of أیم (ayyimun) which is derived from آم which means, he had no wife or he lost his wife by her death and he did not marry. They say آمت من زوجھا i.e. she became bereft of her husband by his death or by being slain and remained without marrying. آمت also means, she had no husband, said of a virgin and of one who is not a virgin. أیم(ayyimun) means, a woman having no husband, whether she be a virgin or not, or whether she had married before or not; a free woman, (Lane & Aqrab) also a man having no wife Mufradat).

Commentary:

As mentioned above, this Surah deals with some of those very heinous moral evils which if ignored and neglected are calculated to eat into the vitals of the society and shake its very foundations. One of these evils is adultery. In the preceding verses the Surah has dealt with some of the causes that lead to the birth, growth and prevalence of this fell moral disease. Two of these causes are scandal-mongering and free and indiscriminate intermingling of the sexes and the third is that some women—widows or virgins, come to conceive a strong dislike for leading a married life, or their guardians, in order to further their own nefarious ends, stand in the way of their marriage. In the verse under comment the Quran has strongly urged the marriage of widows and virgins, the word أیامی covers both of them. In fact, Islam views with extreme disfavour the unmarried state. It regards the married state as the normal state. The Holy Prophet is reported to have said: النکاح من سنتی و من رغب عن سنتی فلیس منی i.e. "marriage is my 'sunnat' (usage or practice) and whoso disapproves and forsakes my sunnat, is not of me" (Muslim, Kitabun-Nikah).

Preponderance of unmarried women in a society is sure to tell adversely on its whole moral tone. The refusal on the part of unmarried women to accept the responsibilities of married life has led to the prevalence of moral laxity to which the west seems to have fallen a helpless victim. The verse strongly discourages unmarried life and does not recognize poverty as a bar to marriage.

7:85; 27:59.

Commentary:

The reference in the word "the town" may be to Sodom, the town of Lot, which was situated on the way from Arabia to Syria.

نشور (to be raised) may also signify the hour of the triumph of Islam. The Quraish did not have the remotest idea that the cause of the Holy Prophet would or could ever triumph.

18:7.

Important Words:

For باخع see 18:7.

Commentary:

The verse speaks volumes for the Holy Prophet’s concern and solicitude for the spiritual well-being of his people. His grief over their rejection of his message and opposition to it had almost killed him. He knew that if his people did not desist from opposing him and did not give up their evil ways, Divine wrath would descend upon them. The realization of this fact lay very heavy upon his heart. God’s Messengers and His Prophets are full of the milk of human kindness. They cry and weep and grieve for mankind. But such is human ingratitude that those very people for whom they feel so deeply persecute them and seek to kill them.

68:12; 104:2.

Important Words:

لا تلمزوا (defame not) is derived from لمز. They say لمزہ i.e. he made a sign to him with the eye, or the like, as the head, and the lip, with low speech. This is the original signification; according to some other authorities the primary signification of the expression is: (1) he pushed him or impelled him or repelled him or he struck or beat him; (2) he blamed, upbraided, or reproached him; he found fault with him; or he did so in his face; or he spoke evil of him; or spoke of him in a manner that he disliked, mentioning vices or faults as chargeable to him, either behind his back or in his face, though it might be with truth (Lane, Aqrab & Raghib). See also 104:2.

لا تنابزوا (call not by nicknames) is derived from نبز which means, he called him by a surname or nick-name and is syn. with لقبه (laqqaba), mostly signifying, he called him by a nickname, or a name of reproach or an opprobrious appellation. It also signifies, he upbraided or reproached him; or the like, being syn. with لمزہ (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

See next verse.

21:45.

2:75; 6:44.

Commentary:

The verse seems to refer to the latter-day Muslims when as a result of neglecting the teachings of Islam they will have become spiritually corrupt, morally depraved and politically impotent. The verse means to bring home to them the realization of their all-round degradation and makes to them a pathetic appeal. "Has not the time arrived yet," it seems to say to them, "now that they have sunk to the lowest depths of degradation, they should turn to God and act upon the teachings of their religion which once raised them to the highest peaks of greatness, grandeur and glory."

Important Words:

یثقفو کم (get the upper hand of you) is derived from ثقف and ثقفه means, he perceived it or attained it by deed or by knowledge; he reached him; he found him; he overtook him; he gained mastery over him; be overcame him and got possession of him (Lane).

Commentary:

The verse indicates how bitter the feelings of disbelievers are towards Muslims. They would use all means, their hands and tongues, etc. and would spare no effort to harm Muslims, and the greatest desire of their hearts is to see them revert to disbelief.