Ash-Shuraa: 53

Ayah

Word by Word

صِرَٰطِ

(The) path

ٱللَّهِ

(of) Allah

ٱلَّذِي

the One

لَهُۥ

to Whom

مَا

(belongs) whatever

فِي

(is) in

ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ

the heavens

وَمَا

and whatever

فِي

(is) in

ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ

the earth

أَلَآ

Unquestionably

إِلَى

ٱللَّهِ

Allah

تَصِيرُ

reach

ٱلۡأُمُورُ

all affairs

Translation

The Way of Allah, to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Behold (how) all affairs tend towards Allah!

Tafsir

Allah tells us that He is the Creator, Sovereign and Controller of the heavens and the earth.

Allah says,

لِلَّهِ مُلۡكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ يَخۡلُقُ مَا يَشَاء

To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills.

Whatever he wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not happen. He gives to whomsoever He wills and withholds from whomsoever he wills; none can withhold what He gives, and none can give what He withholds, and He creates whatever He wills.

يَهَبُ لِمَنۡ يَشَاء إِنَاثًا

He bestows female upon whom He wills.

means, He gives them daughters only.

Al-Baghawi said,

And among them (those who were given daughters only) was Lut, peace be upon him.

وَيَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَاء الذُّكُورَ

and bestows male upon whom He wills.

means, He gives them sons only.

Al-Baghawi said,

Like Ibrahim Al-Khalil, peace be upon him, who did not have any daughters.

أَوۡ يُزَوِّجُهُمۡ ذُكۡرَانًا وَإِنَاثًا

Or He bestows both males and females,

means, He gives to whomsoever He wills both males and females, sons and daughters.

Al-Baghawi said,

Like Muhammad.

وَيَجۡعَلُ مَن يَشَاء عَقِيمًا

and He renders barren whom He wills.

means, so that he has no children at all.

Al-Baghawi said,

Like Yahya and Isa, peace be upon them.

So people are divided into four categories:some are given daughters, some are given sons, some are given both sons and daughters, and some are not given either sons or daughters, but they are rendered barren, with no offspring.

إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ

Verily, He is the All-Knower,

means, He knows who deserves to be in which of these categories.

قَدِيرٌ

and is Able (to do all things).

means, to do whatever He wills and to differentiate between people in this manner.

This issue is similar to that referred to in the Ayah where Allah says of Isa, peace be upon him:

وَلِنَجۡعَلَهُ ءَايَةً لِّلۡنَّاسِ

And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind. (19:21)

i.e., proof for them of His power, for He created people in four different ways.

Adam, peace be upon him, was created from clay, from neither a male nor a female.

Hawwa', peace be upon her, was created from a male without a female.

All other people, besides Isa, peace be upon him, were created from male and female,

and this sign of Allah was completed with the creation of Isa bin Maryam, may peace be upon them both, who was created from a female without a male. Allah says:

وَلِنَجۡعَلَهُ ءَايَةً لِّلۡنَّاسِ

And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind. (19:21)

This issue has to do with parents, whilst the previous issue has to do with children, and in each case there are four categories. Glory be to the All-Knower Who is Able to do all things

How the Revelation comes down

Allah says,

وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ وَحۡيًا

It is not given to any human being that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by revelation,

This refers to how Allah sends revelation. Sometimes He casts something into the heart of the Prophet, and he has no doubt that it is from Allah, as it was reported in Sahih Ibn Hibban that the Messenger of Allah said:

إِنَّ رُوۡحَ الۡقُدُسِ نَفَثَ فِي رُوعِي أَنَّ نَفۡسًا لَنۡ تَمُوتَ حَتۡى تَسۡتَكۡمِلَ رِزۡقَهَا وَأَجَلَهَا فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ وَأَجۡمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَب

Ar-Ruh Al-Qudus (i.e., Jibril) breathed into my heart that no soul will die until its allotted provision and time have expired, so have Taqwa of Allah and keep seeking in a good (and lawful) way.

أَوۡ مِن وَرَاء حِجَابٍ

or from behind a veil --

as He spoke to Musa, peace be upon him. He asked to see Him after He had spoken to him, but this was not granted to him.

In the Sahih, it recorded that the Messenger of Allah said to Jabir bin Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him:

مَا كَلَّمَ اللهُ أَحَدًا إِلاَّ مِنۡ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ وَإِنَّهُ كَلَّمَ أَبَاكَ كِفَاحًا

Allah never speaks to anyone except from behind a veil, but He spoke to your father directly.

This is how it was stated in the Hadith.

He (Jabir's father) was killed on the day of Uhud, but this refers to the realm of Al-Barzakh, whereas the Ayah speaks of this earthly realm.

أَوۡ يُرۡسِلَ رَسُولاً فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذۡنِهِ مَا يَشَاء

or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills by His leave.

as Jibril, peace be upon him, and other angels came down to the Prophets, peace be upon them.

إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ

Verily, He is Most High, Most Wise.

He is Most High, All-Knowing, Most Wise

وَكَذَلِكَ أَوۡحَيۡنَا إِلَيۡكَ رُوحًا مِّنۡ أَمۡرِنَا

And thus We have sent to you Ruh of Our command.

means, the Qur'an.

مَا كُنتَ تَدۡرِي مَا الۡكِتَابُ وَلَاا الاۡاِيمَانُ

You knew not what is the Book, nor what is Faith.

means, `in the details which were given to you in the Qur'an.'

وَلَكِن جَعَلۡنَاهُ

But We have made it,

means, the Qur'an,

نُورًا نَّهۡدِي بِهِ مَنۡ نَّشَاء مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا

a light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our servants We will.

This is like the Ayah:

قُلۡ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواۡ هُدًى وَشِفَأءٌ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُوۡمِنُونَ فِى ءَاذَانِهِمۡ وَقۡرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ عَمًى

Say:

It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur'an) is blindness for them. (41:44)

وَإِنَّكَ

And verily, you, (means, O Muhammad),

لَتَهۡدِي إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ

are indeed guiding to a straight path.

means, the correct behavior.

Then Allah explains this further by saying

صِرَاطِ اللَّهِ

The path of Allah,

meaning, His Laws which He enjoins.

الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الاَۡرۡضِ

to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth.

means, their Lord and Sovereign, the One Who is controlling and ruling them, Whose decree cannot be overturned.

أَلَا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَصِيرُ الامُورُ

Verily, all matters at the end go to Allah.

means, all matters come back to Him and He issues judgement concerning them. Glorified and exalted be He far above all that the evildoers and deniers say.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Ash-Shura. All praise and thanks are due to Allah and in Him is all strength and protection.