Adh-Dhariyat: 52

Ayah

Word by Word

كَذَٰلِكَ

Likewise

مَآ

not

أَتَى

came

ٱلَّذِينَ

(to) those

مِن

before them

قَبۡلِهِم

before them

مِّن

any

رَّسُولٍ

Messenger

إِلَّا

but

قَالُواْ

they said

سَاحِرٌ

A magician

أَوۡ

مَجۡنُونٌ

a madman

Translation

Similarly, no messenger came to the Peoples before them, but they said (of him) in like manner, "A sorcerer, or one possessed"!

Tafsir

Proofs of Allah's Oneness abound in the Creation of the Heavens and the Earth

Allah reminds us of the creating of the higher and lower worlds,

وَالسَّمَاء بَنَيۡنَاهَا

We constructed the heaven.

meaning, `We made it as a high roof, protected from falling,'

بِأَيۡدٍ

with Hands,

meaning, with strength, according to Abdullah bin Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Ath-Thawri and several others,

وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ

Verily, We are able to extend the vastness of space thereof.

means, `We made it vast and We brought its roof higher without pillars to support it, and thus it is hanging independently.

وَالاۡاَرۡضَ فَرَشۡنَاهَا

And We have made the earth a Firash,

meaning, `We have made it a resting place for the created,'

فَنِعۡمَ الۡمَاهِدُونَ

how excellent a spreader (thereof) are We!,

meaning, `We spread it for its inhabitants,

وَمِن كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ خَلَقۡنَا زَوۡجَيۡنِ

And of everything We have created pairs,

meaning, all the created are in pairs, the heaven and earth, night and day, sun and moon, land and sea, light and darkness, faith and disbelief, death and life, misery and happiness, Paradise and Fire, in addition to the animals and plants.

The statement of Allah the Exalted,

لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ

that you may remember.

(and know that the Creator, Allah, is One without partners)

فَفِرُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ

So, flee to Allah.

meaning, seek shelter with Him and trust in Him in all of your affairs,

إِنِّي لَكُم مِّنۡهُ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

وَلَا تَجۡعَلُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا اخَرَ

Verily, I am a plain warner to you from Him. And set not up any other god along with Allah.

i.e. do not associate any partners with Him,

إِنِّي لَكُم مِّنۡهُ نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

Verily, I am a plain warner to you from Him.

All Messengers met the Same Type of Denial from Their Nations

Allah comforts His Prophet by saying to Him, `just as these idolators denied you, the disbelievers of old used the same words with their Messengers,'

كَذَلِكَ مَا أَتَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِم مِّن رَّسُولٍ إِلاَّ قَالُوا سَاحِرٌ أَوۡ مَجۡنُونٌ

Likewise, no Messenger came to those before them but they said:A sorcerer or a madman!

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said

أَتَوَاصَوۡا بِهِ

Have they transmitted this saying to these,

meaning, have those of the past taught these words to the people of the present?

بَلۡ هُمۡ قَوۡمٌ طَاغُونَ

Nay, they are themselves a people transgressing beyond bounds!

They are tyrannical people whose hearts are the same. Therefore, the latter said the same as those before them have said.

Allah the Exalted said

فَتَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡ

So turn away from them,

meaning, `O Muhammad, turn away from the Quraysh idolators,'

فَمَا أَنتَ بِمَلُومٍ

you are not blameworthy.

meaning, `We blame you not if you turn away from them,'

وَذَكِّرۡ فَإِنَّ الذِّكۡرَى تَنفَعُ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ

And remind, for verily, the reminding profits the believers.

meaning, for only the believing hearts benefit from being reminded.

Allah Only created Mankind and Jinns to worship Him Alone

Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ الۡجِنَّ وَالاِۡنسَ إِلاَّ لِيَعۡبُدُونِ

And I created not the Jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me.

meaning, `I, Allah, only created them so that I order them to worship Me, not that I need them.'

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas commented on the Ayah,

إِلاَّ لِيَعۡبُدُون

(...except that they should worship Me).

meaning, So that they worship Me, willingly or unwillingly.

Allah the Exalted said,

مَا أُرِيدُ مِنۡهُم مِّن رِّزۡقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَن يُطۡعِمُونِ

إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الۡقُوَّةِ الۡمَتِينُ

I seek not any provision from them nor do I ask that they should feed Me. Verily, Allah is the All-Provider, Owner of power, the Most Strong.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abdullah bin Mas`ud said,

The Messenger of Allah taught the following:

إِنِّى أَنَا الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الۡقُوَّةِ الۡمَتِينُ

`Verily, I am the Provider, Owner of power, the Most Strong.'

Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i also collected this Hadith. At-Tirmidhi said, Hasan Sahih.

The meaning of this Ayah (51:56) is that, Allah the Exalted, the Blessed created the creatures so that they worship Him Alone without partners. Those who obey Him will be rewarded with the best rewards, while those who disobey Him will receive the worst punishment from Him. Allah stated that He does not need creatures, but rather, they are in need of Him in all conditions. He is alone their Creator and Provider.

Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,

قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى يَاابۡنَ ادَمَ

تَفَرَّغۡ لِعِبَادَتِي أَمۡلَۡ صَدۡرَكَ غِنًى وَأَسُدَّ فَقۡرَكَ وَإِلاَّ تَفۡعَلۡ مَلَۡتُ صَدۡرَكَ شُغۡلً وَلَمۡ أَسُدَّ فَقۡرَك

Allah the Exalted said, O Son of Adam!

Busy yourself in worshipping Me, and I will fill your chest with riches and dissipate your meekness. Otherwise, I will fill your chest with distracting affairs and will not do away with your meekness.

At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah collected this Hadith and At-Tirmidhi said, Hasan Gharib.

The statement of Allah the Exalted

فَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا ذَنُوبًا

And verily, for those who do wrong, there is a portion,

indicates that they will receive their due share of the torment,

مِّثۡلَ ذَنُوبِ أَصۡحَابِهِمۡ فَلَ يَسۡتَعۡجِلُونِ

like the evil portion (which came for) their likes (of old); so let them not ask Me to hasten on!

let them not ask that the punishment is rushed to them, for it will surely come,

فَوَيۡلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن يَوۡمِهِمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ

Then woe to those who disbelieve from their Day which they have been promised.

meaning, the Day of Resurrection.

This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Adh-Dhariyat; all praise is due to Allah and all the favors come from Him Alone.