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Ayah
Word by Word
قُل
Say
لَّوۡ
If
كَانَ
were
ٱلۡبَحۡرُ
the sea
مِدَادٗا
ink
لِّكَلِمَٰتِ
for (the) Words
رَبِّي
(of) my Lord
لَنَفِدَ
surely (would be) exhausted
ٱلۡبَحۡرُ
the sea
قَبۡلَ
before
أَن
[that]
تَنفَدَ
(were) exhausted
كَلِمَٰتُ
(the) Words
رَبِّي
(of) my Lord
وَلَوۡ
even if
جِئۡنَا
We brought
بِمِثۡلِهِۦ
(the) like (of) it
مَدَدٗا
(as) a supplement
قُل
Say
لَّوۡ
If
كَانَ
were
ٱلۡبَحۡرُ
the sea
مِدَادٗا
ink
لِّكَلِمَٰتِ
for (the) Words
رَبِّي
(of) my Lord
لَنَفِدَ
surely (would be) exhausted
ٱلۡبَحۡرُ
the sea
قَبۡلَ
before
أَن
[that]
تَنفَدَ
(were) exhausted
كَلِمَٰتُ
(the) Words
رَبِّي
(of) my Lord
وَلَوۡ
even if
جِئۡنَا
We brought
بِمِثۡلِهِۦ
(the) like (of) it
مَدَدٗا
(as) a supplement
Translation
Say: "If the ocean were ink (wherewith to write out) the words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid."
Tafsir
Say: 'If the sea, in other words, [if] its waters, were ink (midaad is what one writes with) for the Words of my Lord, [Words] that testify to His laws and His marvels, such that these [Words] are written with it, the sea would be spent, in recording them, before the Words of my Lord were spent (read as tanfada or yanfada) even though We brought the like of it, namely, [the like of] the sea, as replenishment', in order to add it to the other [sea], it would [also] be spent, while they [God's Words] would not be exhausted (madadan, 'as replenishment', in the accusative because it is a specification).
"Hell will be displayed before the Disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection
Allah says:
وَعَرَضۡنَا جَهَنَّمَ يَوۡمَيِذٍ لِّلۡكَافِرِينَ عَرۡضًا
And on that Day We shall present Hell to the disbelievers, plain to view.
Allah tells us what He will do to the disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection. He will show Hell to them, meaning He will bring it forth for them to see its punishment and torment before they enter it. This will intensify their distress and grief.
In Sahih Muslim it is recorded that Ibn Mas`ud said,
""The Messenger of Allah said,
يُوۡتَى بِجَهَنَّمَ تُقَادُ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ بِسَبۡعِينَ أَلۡفَ زِمَامٍ مَعَ كُلِّ زِمَامٍ سَبۡعُونَ أَلۡفَ مَلَك
Hell will be brought forth on the Day of Resurrection, pulled by means of seventy thousand reins, each of which will be held by seventy thousand angels.
Then Allah says of them
الَّذِينَ كَانَتۡ أَعۡيُنُهُمۡ فِي غِطَاء عَن ذِكۡرِي
(To) those whose eyes had been under a covering from My Reminder,
meaning, they neglected it, turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to it, refusing to accept guidance and follow the truth.
As Allah says:
وَمَن يَعۡشُ عَن ذِكۡرِ الرَّحۡمَـنِ نُقَيِّضۡ لَهُ شَيۡطَاناً فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ
And whosoever turns away blindly from the remembrance of the Most Gracious, We appoint for him a Shaytan to be a companion for him. (43:36)
And here Allah says:
وَكَانُوا لَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ سَمۡعًا
and they could not bear to hear (it).
meaning, they did not understand the commands and prohibitions of Allah.
Then He says
أَفَحَسِبَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَن يَتَّخِذُوا عِبَادِي مِن دُونِي أَوۡلِيَاء
Do then those who disbelieved think that they can take My servants as Awliya' (protectors) besides Me!
meaning, do they think that this is right for them and that it is going to benefit them!
كَلَّ سَيَكۡفُرُونَ بِعِبَـدَتِهِمۡ وَيَكُونُونَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ضِدّاً
Nay, but they will deny their worship of them, and become opponents to them. (19:82)
إِنَّا أَعۡتَدۡنَا جَهَنَّمَ لِلۡكَافِرِينَ نُزُلاً
Verily, We have prepared Hell as an entertainment for the disbelievers.
Allah says that He has prepared Hell as their abode on the Day of Resurrection
The Greatest Losers in respect of (Their) Deeds
Al-Bukhari recorded from Amr that Mus`ab who said:
""I asked my father -- meaning Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas -- about Allah's saying,
قُلۡ هَلۡ نُنَبِّيُكُمۡ بِالاَۡخۡسَرِينَ أَعۡمَالاً
Say:""Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds!""
`Are they the Haruriyyah?'
He said, `No, they are the Jews and Christians.
As for the Jews, they disbelieved in Muhammad, and
as for the Christians, they disbelieved in Paradise and said that there is no food or drink there, and
the Haruriyyah are those who break Allah's covenant after ratifying it.'
Sa`d used to call them Al-Fasiqin (the corrupt).
Ali bin Abi Talib, Ad-Dahhak and others said:
""They are the Haruriyyah,""
so this means, that according to Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, this Ayah includes the Haruriyyah just as it includes the Jews, the Christians and others.
This does not mean that the Ayah was revealed concerning any of these groups in particular; it is more general than that, because the Ayah was revealed in Makkah, before the Qur'an addressed the Jews and Christians, and before the Khawarij existed at all.
So the Ayah is general and refers to everyone who worships Allah in a way that is not acceptable, thinking that he is right in doing that and that his deeds will be accepted, but he is mistaken and his deeds will be rejected, as Allah says:
وُجُوهٌ يَوۡمَيِذٍ خَـشِعَةٌ
عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ
تَصۡلَى نَاراً حَامِيَةً
Some faces, that Day will be humiliated. Laboring, weary. They will enter in the hot blazing Fire. (88:2-4)
وَقَدِمۡنَأ إِلَى مَا عَمِلُواۡ مِنۡ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلۡنَاهُ هَبَأءً مَّنثُوراً
And We shall turn to whatever deeds they did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust. (25:23)
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ أَعۡمَـلُهُمۡ كَسَرَابٍ بِقِيعَةٍ يَحۡسَبُهُ الظَّمۡأنُ مَأءً حَتَّى إِذَا جَأءَهُ لَمۡ يَجِدۡهُ شَيۡياً
As for those who disbelieved, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing. (24:39)
And in this Ayah Allah says:
قُلۡ هَلۡ نُنَبِّيُكُمۡ
Say:""Shall We tell you...""
meaning, `Shall We inform you;'
بِالاۡاَخۡسَرِينَ أَعۡمَالاًا
the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds.
Then Allah explains who they are, and says
الَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعۡيُهُمۡ فِي الۡحَيَاةِ الدُّنۡيَا
Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life,
meaning, they did deeds that do not count, deeds that are not in accordance with the prescribed way that is acceptable to Allah.
وَهُمۡ يَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمۡ يُحۡسِنُونَ صُنۡعًا
while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds.
means, they thought that there was some basis for their deeds and that they were accepted and loved
أُولَيِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِأيَاتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَلِقَايِهِ
They are those who deny the Ayat of their Lord and the meeting with Him.
they denied the signs of Allah in this world, the proofs that He has established of His Oneness and of the truth of His Messengers, and they denied the Hereafter.
فَحَبِطَتۡ أَعۡمَالُهُمۡ
So their works are in vain,
فَلَ نُقِيمُ لَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ وَزۡنًا
and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall assign no weight for them.
means, `We will not make their Balance heavy because it is empty of any goodness.'
Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said:
إِنَّهُ لَيَأۡتِي الرَّجُلُ الۡعَظِيمُ السَّمِينُ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ لَا يَزِنُ عِنۡدَ اللهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ وَقَالَ اقۡرَءُوا إِنۡ شِيۡتُمۡ
فَلَ نُقِيمُ لَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ وَزۡنًا
A huge fat man will come forward on the Day of Resurrection and he will weigh no more than the wing of a gnat to Allah. Recite, if you wish:
and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall assign no weight for them.
It was also recorded by Muslim
ذَلِكَ جَزَاوُهُمۡ جَهَنَّمُ بِمَا كَفَرُوا
That shall be their recompense, Hell; because they disbelieved,
means, `We will punish them with that because of their disbelief and because they took the signs and Messengers of Allah as a joke, mocking them and disbelieving them in the worst way.'
وَاتَّخَذُوا ايَاتِي وَرُسُلِي هُزُوًا
and took My Ayat and My Messengers for jest.
The Reward of the Righteous Believers
Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَانَتۡ لَهُمۡ جَنَّاتُ الۡفِرۡدَوۡسِ نُزُلاً
""Verily, those who believe and do righteous deeds, shall have the Gardens of Al-Firdaws for their entertainment.""
Allah tells us about His blessed servants, those who believed in Allah and His Messengers and accepted as truth what the Messengers brought.
He tells us that they will have the Gardens of Al-Firdaws (Paradise).
Abu Umamah said,
""Al-Firdaws is the center of Paradise.""
Qatadah said,
""Al-Firdaws is a hill in Paradise, at its center, the best of it.""
This was also narrated from Samurah and attributed to the Prophet,
الۡفِرۡدَوۡسُ رَبۡوَةُ الۡجَنَّةِ أَوۡسَطُهَا وَأَحۡسَنُهَا
Al-Firdaws is a hill in Paradise, at its center, the best of it.
A similar report was narrated from Qatadah from Anas bin Malik, and attributed to the Prophet.
All of the preceding reports were narrated by Ibn Jarir, may Allah have mercy on him.
The following is in the Sahih,
إِذَا سَأَلۡتُمُ اللهَ الۡجَنَّةَ فَاسۡأَلُوهُ الۡفِرۡدَوۡسَ فَإِنَّهُ أَعۡلَى الۡجَنَّةِ وَأَوۡسَطُ الۡجَنَّةِ وَمِنۡهُ تَفَجَّرُ أَنۡهَارُ الۡجَنَّة
If you ask Allah for Paradise, then ask Him for Al-Firdaws, for it is the highest part of Paradise, in the middle of Paradise, and from it spring the rivers of Paradise.
نُزُلاً
(entertainment),
means offered to them as hospitality
خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا
Wherein they shall dwell (forever).
means, they will stay there and never leave.
لَاا يَبۡغُونَ عَنۡهَا حِوَلاًا
No desire will they have for removal therefrom.
means, they will never choose or want anything else.
This Ayah tells us how much they love and desire it, even though one might imagine that a person who is to stay in one place forever would get tired and bored of it. But Allah tells us that despite this eternal stay, they will never choose to change or move from where they are.
The Words of the Lord can never be finished
Allah says:
قُل لَّوۡ كَانَ الۡبَحۡرُ مِدَادًا لِّكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الۡبَحۡرُ قَبۡلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَاتُ رَبِّي وَلَوۡ جِيۡنَا بِمِثۡلِهِ مَدَدًا
Say:""If the sea were ink for the Words of my Lord, surely, the sea would be exhausted before the Words of my Lord would be finished, even if We brought like it for its aid.""
Allah says:`Say, O Muhammad, if the water of the sea were ink for a pen to write down the words, wisdom and signs of Allah, the sea would run dry before it all could be written down.
وَلَوۡ جِيۡنَا بِمِثۡلِهِ
even if We brought like it.
means, another sea, then another, and so on, additional seas to be used for writing. The Words of Allah would still never run out.
As Allah says:
وَلَوۡ أَنَّمَا فِى الاٌّرۡضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقۡلَمٌ وَالۡبَحۡرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِن بَعۡدِهِ سَبۡعَةُ أَبۡحُرٍ مَّا نَفِدَتۡ كَلِمَـتُ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
And if all the trees on the earth were pens and the sea (were ink), with seven seas behind it to increase it, yet the Words of Allah would not be exhausted. Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. (31:27)
Ar-Rabi` bin Anas said,
""The parable of the knowledge of all of mankind, in comparison to the knowledge of Allah, is that of a drop of water in comparison to all of the oceans.""
Allah revealed that:
قُل لَّوۡ كَانَ الۡبَحۡرُ مِدَادًا لِّكَلِمَاتِ رَبِّي لَنَفِدَ الۡبَحۡرُ قَبۡلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَاتُ رَبِّي
Say:""If the sea were ink for the Words of my Lord, surely, the sea would be exhausted before the Words of my Lord would be finished,
Allah says that even if those oceans were ink for the Words of Allah, and all the trees were pens, the pens would be broken and the water of the sea would run dry, and the Words of Allah would remain, for nothing can outlast them. For no one can comprehend the greatness of Allah or praise Him as He deserves to be praised, except the One Who praises Himself.
Our Lord is as He says He is and He is beyond what we can say.
The blessings of this world, the beginning and end of it, in comparison to the blessings of the Hereafter, are like a mustard seed compared to the entire world.
Muhammad is a Human Being and a Messenger, and the God is One
Allah says to His Messenger Muhammad,
قُلۡ
Say,
to these idolators who reject your message to them,
إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ
I am only a man like you.
Whoever claims that I am lying, let him bring something like this that I have brought. For I did not know the Unseen, the matters of the past which you asked me about and I told you about, the story of the people of the Cave and of Dhul-Qarnayn, stories which are true -- I did not know any of this except for what Allah made known to me. And I tell you,
يُوحَى إِلَيَّ
It has been revealed to me,
أَنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمۡ
.
that your God,
Who calls you to worship Him,
..
إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ
is One God,
with no partner or associate.
فَمَن كَانَ يَرۡجُو لِقَاء رَبِّهِ
So whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord,
i.e., hopes for a good reward and recompense,
فَلۡيَعۡمَلۡ عَمَلً صَالِحًا
let him work righteousness,
meaning, in accordance with the prescribed laws of Allah,
وَلَا يُشۡرِكۡ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا
and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.
This is what is meant by seeking the pleasure of Allah alone with no associate or partner. These are the two basic features of acceptable deeds:their intent is for the sake of Allah alone, and are done in accordance with the way of the Messenger of Allah.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Mahmud bin Labid said that the Messenger of Allah said:
إِنَّ أَخۡوَفَ مَا أَخَافَ عَلَيۡكُمُ الشِّرۡكُ الاَۡصۡغَر
What I fear the most for you is the small Shirk.""
They said:What is the small Shirk, O Messenger of Allah!""
He said,
الرِّيَاءُ
يَقُولُ اللهُ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ إِذَا جَزَىَ النَّاسَ بِأَعۡمَالِهِمۡ اذۡهَبُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ كُنۡتُمۡ تُرَاءُونَ فِي الدُّنۡيَا فَانۡظُرُوا هَلۡ تَجِدُونَ عِنۡدَهُمۡ جَزَاءً
Showing off (Ar-Riya').
Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection, when the people are rewarded or punished for their deeds, ""Go to the one for whom you were showing off in the world and see if you will find any reward with him.""
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Sa`id bin Abi Fadalah Al-Ansari, who was one of the Companions, said:
""I heard the Messenger of Allah say,
إِذَا جَمَعَ اللهُ الاَۡوَّلِينَ وَالاۡخِرِينَ لِيَوۡمِ الۡقِيَامَةِ لِيَوۡمٍ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهِ نَادَى مُنَادٍ مَنۡ كَانَ أَشۡرَكَ فِي عَمَلٍ عَمِلَهُ للهِ أَحَدًا فَلۡيَطۡلُبۡ ثَوَابَهُ مِنۡ عِنۡدِ غَيۡرِ اللهِ فَإِنَّ اللهَ أَغۡنَى الشُّرَكَاءِ عَنِ الشِّرۡك
Allah will gather the first and the last on the Day of Resurrection, the Day concerning which there is no doubt. A voice will call out, ""Whoever used to associate anyone with Allah in the deeds which he did, let him seek his reward from someone other than Allah, for Allah is the least in need of any partner or associate.
It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Kahf. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all that exists."
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