كِتَٰبٍ

5:13.

Important Words:

میثاق النبیین (covenant from the people through the Prophets) literally means, Covenant of the Prophets. According to Arabic usage, the expression اخذ الله میثاق النبیین (lit. Allah took the covenant of the Prophets) may refer either to a covenant which the Prophets of God entered into with Him, or to a covenant which God took from the people through their Prophets. In this verse, the words are used in the latter sense, which is supported by another reading of میثاق النبیین as reported by Ubayy bin Ka‘b and ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud, i.e. میثاق الذین اوتوا الکتاب meaning, the covenant of those who were given the Book (Muhit). This rendering is supported by the words that follow, i.e. and then there comes to you a Messenger fulfilling what is with you, because it was to the people and not to their Prophets that the Messenger of God came. The meaning given above gains further support from the fact that as other Prophets were dead at the time of the Holy Prophet, they could naturally render him no help and there was thus no sense in taking any covenant from them to this effect.

Commentary:

This verse is considered to apply to other Prophets in general and to the Holy Prophet in particular. Both applications are correct. The verse lays down a general rule. The advent of every Prophet takes place in fulfilment of certain prophecies made by a previous Prophet in which he enjoins his followers to accept the next Prophet when he makes his appearance. If the Prophet comes in fulfilment of the prophecies con-tained in the scriptures of one people only, as was the case with Jesus and other Israelite Prophets, then only that people are bound to accept and help him; but if the scriptures of all religions predict the coming of a Prophet, as in the case of the Holy Prophet, then all nations are bound to accept him.

The Holy Prophet appeared in fulfilment of the prophecies not only of the Israelite Prophets (Isa. 21:13-15. Deut. 18:18; 33:2. John 14:25, 26; 16:7-13) but also of the Aryan seers and Buddhist and Zoroastrian sages. We have the following prophecy in Dasatir, the sacred Scripture of the Parsis: "When the people of Iran will begin to do such, (i.e.evil) deeds, there shall appear from among the Arabs a man whose followers shall abolish the crown, the throne, the kingdom, and the religion of Iran. The headstrong shall become humble and a house without idols shall take the place of idol-houses and fire-temples, and to it shall they turn their faces in worship" (Safrang Dasatir, p. 188, Siraji Press, Delhi). The words are too clear to need comment. A similar prophecy is found in Jamaspi, a work of Jamaspi, the first successor of Zoroaster (Jamaspi, published by Nizamul-Masha’ikh, Delhi, 1330 A.H.).

The word مصدقا (fulfilling; for the meaning of which see 3:42) has been used here to denote the criterion by which a true claimant to prophethood is distinguished from a false one. But if the word is taken in the sense of "verifying or confirming or declaring to be true" as is sometimes done, this verification or confirmation can be no test of knowing a true Prophet from an impostor, for even an impostor can declare the previous scriptures to be true. The word has, therefore, been rightly translated here as "fulfilling" for it is only by "fulfilling" in his person the prophecies contained in the previous scriptures that a claimant can prove his truth, it being beyond the power of an impostor to fulfil the previous prophecies in his person.

Commentary:

This verse gives a further reason why the work of punishment must remain in the hands of God; it is God alone with Whom are the keys of the unseen, i.e. it is He alone Who knows the unseen. None but He knows the secrets of men’s hearts and, therefore, He alone is in a position to punish.

The expressions "land", "sea", "falling of a leaf", "grain in the darkness of the earth," and "green or dry" are all descriptive of the various conditions of man. The "sea", according to the Arab conception, is typical of hardships, whereas "land" symbolizes ease and comfort. Similarly, "the falling of a leaf" represents the actions of man that are rendered vain and fruitless; whereas the "grain in the darkness of the earth," if left unprotected, may become lost just as virtue, if left uncared for, may become lost. Again "the green or the dry" is also known to God. A tree appears to us to be dry, but when it is watered by rain, it becomes green.

Similarly, a man sometimes appears to us to be devoid of all spirituality, but when he is watered with the water of Divine mercy, he becomes full of spiritual life.

The word کتاب (Book) also signifies knowledge. Other instances of this use may be seen in 30:57 and 68:48 where the words کتاب (lit. book) and یکتبون (lit. they write) respectively mean "knowledge" and "they know". The Holy Prophet is also reported to have written to the people of Yemen, saying, قد بعثت الیکم کاتبا من اصحابی "I have sent to you a writer, i.e. a man of knowledge, from among my Companions" (Bihar, iii. 193). So the Arabic words rendered as "is recorded in a clear Book" may also be translated as "is preserved in sure divine knowledge."

Thus, as God alone possesses the keys of the unseen and as all the conditions and actions of man are known to Him alone, it is He only Who can punish him. No one who is devoid of perfect knowledge is qualified to punish. Again, God alone knows how far hardship or ease influences the actions of a man. He alone knows whether or not the good works done by a man have been rendered null and void through the operation of other causes. He alone knows the grains of virtue that lie embedded in the heart of man and whether or not these grains will sprout forth and grow and thrive and bring forth fruit. He alone can tell whether a person who, to all appearances, is "dry" and devoid of all spiritual life, will turn "green" when supplied with heavenly water or whether he is dead beyond revival. In short, God alone has true knowledge of all things and all conditions and all possibilities and all potentialities, and therefore, He alone can say whether a man deserves to be punished or not.

57:5; 58:8.

34:4.

Important Words:

شأن (anything) is the substantive noun from شأن. They say شأنت شأنه i.e. I pursued his way or course, doing as he did. They say ھو رجل عظیم الشان i.e. he is a man of great importance. The Arabs say من شأنه ان یفعل کذا i.e. it is his business or his way or nature to do such a thing. شأن means, a thing, an affair or a business; state, condition, quality or manner; importance attached to a person or thing (Lane & Aqrab).

یعزب (is hidden) is formed from عزب which means, he or it was or became distant or remote or absent; he or it became hidden or concealed; he or it went away or departed. They say عزبت الابل i.e. the camels went away to a distance in the pasturage not returning in the evening. عزب عن فلان حلمه means, the forbearance of such a one quitted him. عزبت الارض means, the land was or became destitute of inhabitants (Lane & Aqrab).

Commentary:

The present is one of the most remarkable verses of the Quran. It appears as if God is making His address from the Throne of His Majesty and Glory. Whereas on one side of Him are seated the Holy Prophet and his followers, on the other are the disbelievers. The words, And thou art not engaged in anything and thou recitest not from Him any portion of the Quran, refer to the Holy Prophet and Muslims, and the words, and you do no work but We are witnesses of you when you are engrossed therein, are addressed to disbelievers. The verse reminds believers that mere acceptance of truth or mere preaching of the word of God is not sufficient. It is the way in which one carries belief into practice and the motives behind actions that really count. A true believer, therefore, should always be subjecting his intentions and deeds to strict scrutiny. So let not those who have believed delude themselves with the idea that the mere profession of faith and the preaching of it would win them the pleasure of God and attract His help. They will have to show by the sincerity of their motives and the purity of their conduct that they really deserve it. The verse embodies the great lesson that unless good actions are performed with pure motives and done in the right manner, they cannot produce good results or win the pleasure of God. To the other side, also, the stern warning is issued that their denial of the truth and mocking and scoffing at it as well as their activities against the religion of God are not going unnoticed and they will meet with the fate they deserve.

The words اصغر and اکبر (smaller and greater) have been used to point out that whereas some things remain hidden on account of their smallness, there are others, parts of which remain hidden owing to their largeness. For instance, one can see only a part of a big mountain and not the whole. The Quran, therefore, rightly says that on the one hand God’s vision is so sharp and penetrating that nothing, however, small it may be, can remain hidden from Him; and on the other hand, His vision is so comprehensive that no part of a thing, however big it may be, can escape His sight.

Moreover, science has established the fact that both seeing and hearing depend on waves and vibrations and that there is a limit to perception by both eye and ear. The eye does not react to vibrations which fall short of a certain limit, nor to those which are beyond a certain limit. The same is the case with the ear. The ear cannot hear a sound which is communicated to it by vibrations which are less than thirty per second or which exceed forty per second. Thus, even scientifically, it is proved that certain things escape the comprehension of both the ear and the eye by reason of either their smallness or their bigness. But, says the Quran, it is not so with God, Who sees all things in their entirety.

11:57.

Important Words:

مستقر (lodging) and مستودع (home) not only mean a place of temporary settlement and of permanent abode but also final or determined limit of a thing both as regards time or place; appointed term; end of one’s course (Lane). See also 6:99.

Commentary:

The verse declares that God has provided sustenance for all His creatures but it rests with them to make proper use of it. He has provided the means of subsistence for even the worms and reptiles that dwell in the bowels of the earth. Human reason is at a loss to know how and whence the worms and insects found in such unlimited numbers on and inside the earth get their food. There are many insects about the nature of even whose food man is in the dark, but all are getting their sustenance from nature. An interesting instance of how God makes provision for animals is furnished by the crops which men sow. While wheat makes an article of food for man, its stalk, leaves and husks provide food for animals. If God had not produced these things along with the grains of wheat, most men might have neglected their own ulterior interests and starved the dumb cattle.

God has created nothing without purpose. Even prickly shrubs form food for the camel and the goat, while the worms that grow in the human body get their food in the body itself. In fact, every species of worm, insect and animal has its particular food provided for it in nature. Even beasts of prey, which live on different kinds of animal diet seldom go hungry. Man who presumes to have solved the mysteries of the universe is not yet fully acquainted with all forms of life, to say nothing of knowing the different kinds of food on which they subsist. But God has made ample provision for them all.

What the Quran points out in this verse is that, when God has supplied the physical needs of the meanest of His creatures, He could certainly not have neglected to make provision for the moral and spiritual needs of the noblest of His creatures—man, who is the acme of His creation. It is unthinkable that when man was a mere clot of blood in the womb of his mother God supplied all his needs, but when he grew up to perfection and stood in need of guidance for the cultivation of his moral and spiritual faculties, He left him to his fate. Most assuredly God has provided both physical and spiritual sustenance for man; but it is for man to get it and make a proper use of it.

The words, He knows its lodging and its home, refer not only to the temporary and the permanent abode of every living thing but also to the utmost limit to which its powers can develop (see Important Words). The expression is thus intended to point out that only the Being Who knows the place where a thing lives and the utmost limits of its faculties can devise and provide the food best suited for it. To explain this point we may take the example of the body and the soul. We find that in teachings devised by human beings, either only the needs of the permanent abode, which relates to the human soul, have been taken into consideration, and the needs of the body, which serves as a shell for the soul and is thus man’s temporary abode, have been neglected; or the betterment of the temporary abode i.e. the body, has received the whole attention and the requirements of the soul have been lost sight of. The truth is that with the help of his intellect alone it is not possible for man to provide for both his material and spiritual needs; for he does not know what will happen after death, and his spiritual needs concern primarily his life in the Hereafter. It is only God Who does so.

19:65.

Commentary:

Moses gives a crushing reply to Pharaoh’s evasive tactics. He tells Pharaoh that he should not bother about the former generations. His God knew all about them and every detail concerning them was well preserved in His knowledge and on the Day of Resurrection He would requite them all according to their deeds and actions, taking into consideration their particular conditions and circumstances.

22:4.

Commentary:

The verse stresses the importance of true knowledge and reiterates the fact that all deviation from the right path is due to the lack of it. It purports to say that the inference from v. 6 viz. that God is and that He has the power to bring the dead to life, is so patent and manifest that it is only perverse thinking, born of lack of true knowledge that can deny it.

علم (knowledge) signifies intellectual proof and arguments, ھدی Divine guidance and کتاب منیر signifies scriptural evidence.

20:8; 27:66; 49:17.

42:53.

Commentary:

Alluding to the two great principles mentioned in v. 47 above, the present verse purports to say that it is unimaginable that a man who could neither read nor write and therefore conceivably had no knowledge of the other revealed Scriptures should have been able to produce a Book which not only contains all that is of permanent value in these Scriptures but is also a compendium of all the universal teachings that are calculated to satisfy all the moral and spiritual needs and requirements of humanity for all time. The fact of the Holy Prophet being illiterate, and being born in a country, and having lived among a people, cut off from all contact with civilized humanity, indeed constitutes an infallible proof of the Quran being a revealed Book. That the Holy Prophet could neither read nor write before he was commissioned as a Divine Messenger admits of no difference of opinion. Towards the end of his life he may have been able to decipher a few simple words but he never learned to read or write. See also 16:104.

13:14; 22:4, 9.

Important Words:

أسبغ (has completed) is derived from سبغ. They say سبغ العیش i.e. the life was or became pleasant and plentiful. أسبغ الله علیه النعمةmeans, God completed His favour upon him (Aqrab & Lane).

Commentary:

The verse embodies strong refutation of Shirk (associating false deities with God) and incidentally alludes to three kinds of arguments which help a man to arrive at a right understanding of any important problem, viz; (1) evidence of reason and common sense; (2) arguments based on observation and experience; and (3) arguments provided by Divine revelation. The verse purports to say that none of these supports Shirk or disbelief. The disbelievers can adduce no rational argument in support of their foolish beliefs. Neither are those beliefs supported and substantiated by observation or experience, nor do they receive support from revelation. The combined testimony of human reason and common sense, of observation and experience and of Divine revelation, goes to show that belief in plurality of gods is a false and foolish belief. This is the significance of the words, without knowledge or guidance or an illuminating Book.

The verse further says that man is the noblest handiwork of God and the acme and peak of His creation. The universe has been created to serve him, the sun with the whole solar system and the earth with all that is on it have been made subservient to him. So when all things have been created for his sake, it is foolish on man’s part first to set up equals with God and then to begin to worship and adore the things which have been created for his use and service.

The verse further implies that when all the physical needs of man have been met and his smallest requirements are satisfied by God, it is inconceivable that He should have neglected to make similar provision for his spiritual needs.

The words ظاھرة و باطنة may signify all needs of man—physical and spiritual; material and intellectual; known and unknown.

10:62.

Commentary:

The reference in the word "Hour" is to the hour of the triumph of Islam and the defeat and discomfiture of disbelief.

The subject of the preceding verse is further elaborated and developed in the present one, viz. that no action good or bad goes unrewarded. The disbelievers are thus warned that their opposition to Islam and their persecution of Muslims will not go unpunished.

18:38; 22:6; 23:14; 36:78; 40:68.

Commentary:

By referring to the very humble and insignificant origin of man the verse draws attention to the lowly beginnings of Islam and the extremely poor condition of the early Muslims and implies a prophecy that just as out of an insignificant sperm-drop there grows a well-proportioned and fully-developed human being, similarly the lowly and poor Muslims will one day grow into a mighty community.

The latter part of the verse is related to what a female conceives and what she gives birth to, and to the lengthening and diminishing of a man’s life implies another prophecy that the progeny of opponents of the Holy Prophet will one day become devoted followers of Islam.

11:113.

5:50; 6:57.

2:140; 10:42.

Commentary:

The Holy Prophet is here enjoined to tell the followers of earlier Prophets that he believes in all the revealed Scriptures that had come before him. There was, therefore, no cause for them to quarrel with him. But since they continued to reject him, so time will show who is in the right and who in the wrong. The words, "Allah will gather us together" may imply a prophecy that disbelievers will join the fold of Islam.

85:23.

Commentary:

That the Quran is a well-preserved and well-protected Divinely revealed Book is an open challenge to the whole world which has remained unaccepted during the past fourteen centuries. No effort has been spared by its hostile critics to find fault with the purity of its text. But all efforts in this direction have led to but one inevitable—albeit unpalatable for its enemies—result that the Book which the Holy Prophet Muhammad gave to the world fourteen hundred years back has come down to us without the change of a single vowel. The Quran stands unique in this respect among all revealed Scriptures. Books other than the Quran have been interpolated, mutilated and tampered with. And this was natural, because their teachings were meant for particular peoples and for limited periods of time. But the Quran, being the Last Divine Message for the whole of mankind, should naturally have been vouchsafed full, complete and eternal protection. Elsewhere, the Quran has made the firm assertion that it enjoys Divine protection: "Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We are its Guardian" (15:10). The verse under comment along with 15:10 constitutes not only a forceful challenge but also a mighty prophecy that the Quranic text shall remain intact, which prophecy has been remarkably fulfilled. What adds weight and force to the prophecy is the fact that it was made at a time when even the art of writing had not much developed and that it was addressed to a people who did not even know how to read and write. "There is probably in the world no other book", says William Muir, "which has remained twelve centuries with so pure a text...There is otherwise every security, internal and external, that we possess the text which Muhammad himself gave forth and used...To compare their pure text with the various readings of our Scriptures, is to compare things between which there is no analogy."

"Efforts of European scholars to prove the existence of later interpolations in the Quran have failed" (Enc. Brit.).

The verse may also signify that the ideals and principles embodied in the Quran are inscribed in the book of nature, i.e. they are in complete harmony with natural laws. Like the laws of nature they are immutable and unalterable and cannot be defied with impunity. Or it may mean that the Quran is preserved in "the nature which God has bestowed upon man" (30:31). Human nature is based upon fundamental truths and has been endowed with the faculty to arrive at true judgements. A person who honestly calls human nature into action can easily recognize the truth of the Quran.

Commentary:

کتاب (Book) may signify divine law or knowledge. It may also signify the Quran. According to the first meaning, the verse would signify that everything is subject to a certain law of nature. According to the second it may mean that the causes and cures of misery befalling nations and individuals have been mentioned in the Quran, the words فی الارضsignifying people in general, and فی أنفسکم meaning the Muslims as a whole or every individual.