Fatir: 7

Ayah

Word by Word

ٱلَّذِينَ

Those who

كَفَرُواْ

disbelieve

لَهُمۡ

for them

عَذَابٞ

(will be) a punishment

شَدِيدٞۖ

severe

وَٱلَّذِينَ

and those

ءَامَنُواْ

who believe

وَعَمِلُواْ

and do

ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ

righteous deeds

لَهُم

for them

مَّغۡفِرَةٞ

(will be) forgiveness

وَأَجۡرٞ

and a reward

كَبِيرٌ

great

Translation

For those who reject Allah, is a terrible Penalty: but for those who believe and work righteous deeds, is Forgiveness, and a magnificent Reward.

Tafsir

Tafsir of Surah Fatir

The Power of Allah

الۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ

All praise is due to Allah, Fatir of the heavens and the earth,

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

I did not know whatFatir As-Samawati wal-Ard meant until two Bedouins came to me disputing over a well. One of them said to his companion, `Ana Fatartuha,' meaning, `I started it.'

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, also said,

فَاطِرِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاۡاَرۡضِ

(Fatir of the heavens and the earth) means,

The Originator of the heavens and the earth.

Ad-Dahhak said,

Every time the phrase Fatir As-Samawati wal-Ard is used in the Qur'an, it means the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

جَاعِلِ الۡمَلَايِكَةِ رُسُلًا

Who made the angels messengers,

means, between Him and His Prophets.

أُولِي أَجۡنِحَةٍ

with wings,

means, with which they fly to convey quickly that which they have been commanded to convey.

مَّثۡنَى وَثُلَثَ وَرُبَاعَ

two or three or four,

means, among them are some who have two wings, some have three and some who have four.

Some have more than that, as stated in the Hadith mentioning that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ Jibril, peace be upon him, on the Night of the Isra with six hundred wings. Between each pair of wings was a distance like that between the east and the west.

Allah says:

يَزِيدُ فِي الۡخَلۡقِ مَا يَشَاء إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ قَدِيرٌ

He increases in creation what He wills. Verily, Allah is Able to do all things.

As-Suddi said,

He increases their wings and creates them as He wills.

None can withhold the Mercy of Allah

Allah tells,

مَا يَفۡتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِن رَّحۡمَةٍ فَلَا مُمۡسِكَ لَهَا وَمَا يُمۡسِكۡ فَلَا مُرۡسِلَ لَهُ مِن بَعۡدِهِ

وَهُوَ الۡعَزِيزُ الۡحَكِيمُ

Whatever of mercy, Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it; and whatever He may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.

Allah tells us that what He wills, happens, and what He does not will, does not happen. None can give what He withholds, and none can withhold what He gives.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Warrad, the freed slave of Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah, said,

Mu`awiyah wrote to Al-Mughirah bin Shu`bah, saying, `Write for me what you heard from the Messenger of Allah.' So Al-Mughirah called me and I wrote for him:

`I heard the Messenger of Allah say when he finished praying,

لَاا إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحۡدَهُ لَاا شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الۡمُلۡكُ وَلَهُ الۡحَمۡدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ قَدِيرٌ

اللۡهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعۡطَيۡتَ وَلَا مُعۡطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعۡتَ وَلَا يَنۡفَعُ ذَا الۡجَدِّ مِنۡكَ الۡجَد

There is no god (worthy of worship) except Allah alone, with no partner or associate. To Him be praise and dominion, and He is able to do all things.

O Allah, there is none who can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold, and good fortune and richness in anything cannot benefit one against Your will.

`And I heard him forbid gossiping, asking too many questions and wasting money, burying girls alive, disobeying one's mother, and withholding from others while asking from them.'

This was also recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, with several chain of narration.

It was recorded in Sahih Muslim that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

When the Messenger of Allah raised his head from bowing, he would say:

سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنۡ حَمِدَهُ

اللۡهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الۡحَمۡدُ مِلۡءُ السَّمَاءِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ وَمِلۡءُ مَا شِيۡتَ مِنۡ شَيۡءٍ بَعۡدُ

اللۡهُمَّ أَهۡلَ الثَّنَاءِ وَالۡمَجۡدِ أَحَقُّ مَا قَالَ الۡعَبۡدُ وَكُلُّنَا لَكَ عَبۡدٌ

Allah hears those who praise Him.

O Allah, our Lord, to You be praise, filling the heavens and the earth, and filling whatever You wish besides.

O Allah, the One deserving praise and glory. The truest words that any servant says -- and all of us are Your servants -- are:

O Allah, there is none who can withhold what You give, and none can give what You withhold, and no wealth or majesty can benefit anyone against Your will.

This Ayah is like the Ayah:

وَإِن يَمۡسَسۡكَ اللَّهُ بِضُرٍّ فَلَ كَاشِفَ لَهُ إِلاَّ هُوَ وَإِن يُرِدۡكَ بِخَيۡرٍ فَلَ رَادَّ لِفَضۡلِهِ

And if Allah touches you with harm, there is none who can remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His favor. (10:107)

And there are many similar Ayat

The Evidence of Tawhid

Allah says,

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اذۡكُرُوا نِعۡمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ هَلۡ مِنۡ خَالِقٍ غَيۡرُ اللَّهِ يَرۡزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاء وَالاۡاَرۡضِ

O mankind! Remember the grace of Allah upon you! Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the sky (rain) and the earth!

Allah shows His servants that they should worship Him Alone, for just as He is Independent in His power of creation and provision, so He should be worshipped Alone with no partners or associates such as idols and false gods.

So Allah says:

لَاا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَأَنَّى تُوۡفَكُونَ

La ilaha illa Huwa. How then are you turning away (from Him)!

meaning, `how can you turn away from Him after this has been made clear and this proof has been made obvious, but you still worship idols and false gods.'

And Allah knows best

Consolation in the fact that the previous Messengers were denied, and a reminder of the Resurrection

Allah says:

وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدۡ كُذِّبَتۡ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ

And if they deny you, so were Messengers denied before you.

Allah says:`Even if these idolators who associate others with Allah disbelieve in you, O Muhammad, and go against the Message of Tawhid that you have brought, you have an example in the Messengers who came before you.'

They also brought a clear Message to their people and told them to worship Allah alone, but their people denied them and went against them.

وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرۡجَعُ الامُورُ

And to Allah return all matters (for decision).

means, `We will requite them for that in full.'

Then Allah says

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ

O mankind!

Verily, the promise of Allah is true.

meaning the Resurrection will undoubtedly come to pass.

فَلَ تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الۡحَيَاةُ الدُّنۡيَا

So, let not this present life deceive you,

means, `this life is as nothing in compare to the great good that Allah has promised to His close friends and the followers of His Messengers, so do not let these transient attractions distract you from that which is lasting.'

وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِاللَّهِ الۡغَرُورُ

and let not the chief deceiver deceive you about Allah.

This refers to Shaytan, as stated by Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.

Meaning, do not let the Shaytan tempt you and divert you away from following the Messengers of Allah and believing what they say, for he is the chief deceiver and arch-liar.

This Ayah is like the Ayah that appears at the end of Surah Luqman:

فَلَ تَغُرَّنَّكُمُ الۡحَيَوةُ الدُّنۡيَا وَلَا يَغُرَّنَّكُم بِاللَّهِ الۡغَرُورُ

let not then this (worldly) present life deceive you, nor let the chief deceiver deceive you about Allah. (31:33)

Then Allah tells us of the enmity of Iblis towards the sons of Adam

إِنَّ الشَّيۡطَانَ لَكُمۡ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا

Surely, Shaytan is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy.

meaning, `he has declared his enmity towards you, so be even more hostile towards him, oppose him and do not believe the things with which he tries to tempt you.'

إِنَّمَا يَدۡعُو حِزۡبَهُ لِيَكُونُوا مِنۡ أَصۡحَابِ السَّعِيرِ

He only invites his followers that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire.

means, `he only wants to misguide you so that you will enter the blazing Fire with him.'

This is a manifest enemy, and we ask Allah, the All-Powerful and Almighty to make us enemies of Shaytan and to make us followers of the Book of Allah and of the way of His Messengers. For He is able to do whatever He wills and He will respond to all supplication.

This is like the Ayah:

وَإِذَا قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلَـيِكَةِ اسۡجُدُواۡ لاِدَمَ فَسَجَدُواۡ إِلاَّ إِبۡلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الۡجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّهِ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوۡلِيَأءَ مِن دُونِى وَهُمۡ لَكُمۡ عَدُوٌّ بِيۡسَ لِلظَّـلِمِينَ بَدَلاً

And (remember) when We said to the angels:Prostrate yourselves unto Adam.

So they prostrated themselves except Iblis.

He was one of the Jinn; he disobeyed the command of his Lord. Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for the wrongdoers. (18:50

The Punishment of the Disbeliever and the Reward of the Believer on the Day of Resurrection

Allah says,

الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ

Those who disbelieve, theirs will be a severe torment;

Having stated that the ultimate destiny of the followers of Iblis will be the blazing Fire, Allah then tells us that for those who disbelieve there will be a severe punishment. This is because they obeyed the Shaytan and disobeyed Ar-Rahman.

وَالَّذِينَ امَنُوا

and those who believe

And He tells us that those who believed in Allah and His Messengers

وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٌ

and do righteous good deeds, theirs will be forgiveness,

meaning, from whatever sins they did,

وَأَجۡرٌ كَبِيرٌ

and a great reward. for the good deeds that they did.

Then Allah says

أَفَمَن زُيِّنَ لَهُ سُوءُ عَمَلِهِ فَرَاهُ حَسَنًا

Is he, then, to whom the evil of his deeds is made fair seeming, so that he considers it as good!

meaning, `such as disbelievers or immoral persons who do evil deeds and believe that they are doing something good, i.e., a person who is like that has been misguided by Allah, so what can you do for him? You cannot help him at all.'

فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يُضِلُّ مَن يَشَاء وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَاء

Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills.

means according to His decree.

فَلَ تَذۡهَبۡ نَفۡسُكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَسَرَاتٍ

So destroy not yourself in sorrow for them.

means, do not grieve about that, for Allah is Wise in His decree and He leaves astray whomsoever He leaves astray, and He guides whomsoever He guides, and in doing so He has perfect knowledge and wisdom.

Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَصۡنَعُونَ

Truly, Allah is the All-Knower of what they do!