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Ayah
Word by Word
وَمَا
And not
نَتَنَزَّلُ
we descend
إِلَّا
except
بِأَمۡرِ
by (the) Command
رَبِّكَۖ
(of) your Lord
لَهُۥ
To Him (belongs)
مَا
what
بَيۡنَ
(is) before us
أَيۡدِينَا
(is) before us
وَمَا
and what
خَلۡفَنَا
(is) behind us
وَمَا
and what
بَيۡنَ
(is) between
ذَٰلِكَۚ
that
وَمَا
And not
كَانَ
is
رَبُّكَ
your Lord
نَسِيّٗا
forgetful
وَمَا
And not
نَتَنَزَّلُ
we descend
إِلَّا
except
بِأَمۡرِ
by (the) Command
رَبِّكَۖ
(of) your Lord
لَهُۥ
To Him (belongs)
مَا
what
بَيۡنَ
(is) before us
أَيۡدِينَا
(is) before us
وَمَا
and what
خَلۡفَنَا
(is) behind us
وَمَا
and what
بَيۡنَ
(is) between
ذَٰلِكَۚ
that
وَمَا
And not
كَانَ
is
رَبُّكَ
your Lord
نَسِيّٗا
forgetful
Translation
(The angels say:) "We descend not but by command of thy Lord: to Him belongeth what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between: and thy Lord never doth forget,-
Tafsir
When the Revelation did not come for a number of days, the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him said to Gabriel, 'What prevents you from visiting us more often than you do?' and so the following was revealed: And We do not descend except by the commandment of your Lord. To Him belongs all that is before us, namely, ahead of us, of the affairs of the Hereafter, and all that is behind us, of the affairs of this world, and all that is between those [two], namely, all that takes place from this [point in] time until the coming of the Hour, in other words, to Him belongs knowledge of all of those things. And your Lord is never forgetful, meaning that He is never neglectful of you [even] when the Revelation is postponed from [being sent to] you.
The Angels do not descend, except by Allah's Command
Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn Abbas said that the Messenger of Allah said to Jibril,
مَا يَمۡنَعُكَ أَنۡ تَزُورَنَا أَكۡثَرَ مِمَّا تَزُورُنَا
What prevents you from visiting us more than you do?
Then this Ayah was revealed,
وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمۡرِ رَبِّكَ
And we descend not except by the command of your Lord.
Al-Bukhari was alone in recording it and he related it with the Tafsir of this Ayah.
Al-Awfi reported from Ibn Abbas that he said,
Jibril was kept from visiting the Messenger of Allah, so he was disturbed and grieved because of this.
Then, Jibril came to him and said, `O Muhammad,
وَمَا نَتَنَزَّلُ إِلاَّ بِأَمۡرِ رَبِّكَ
(And we descend not except by the command of your Lord).'
Allah said,
لَهُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِينَا وَمَا خَلۡفَنَا
To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us,
It has been said that the meaning of what is before us refers to that which is in this life and what is behind us refers to the Hereafter.
وَمَا بَيۡنَ ذَلِكَ
and what is between those two;
This means what is between two blows of the Sur.
This is the opinion of Abu Al-Aliyah, Ikrimah and Mujahid.
This was also stated by Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah in one narration from them.
As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi` bin Anas held this opinion as well.
It has also been said,
مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِينَا
(what is before us),
means the future matters of the Hereafter.
وَمَا خَلۡفَنَا
(what is behind us),
means what has taken place in this life,
وَمَا بَيۡنَ ذَلِكَ
what is between those two;
means what happens between this life and the Hereafter.
A statement like this explanation has been reported from Ibn Abbas, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and Ath-Thawri.
Ibn Jarir also preferred this latter interpretation.
And Allah knows best.
Concerning Allah's statement,
وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيًّا
and your Lord is never forgetful.
Mujahid said,
This means that your Lord has not forgotten you.
Allah said
رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا
Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them,
He created all of that, He is the Disposer of its affairs, He is the Legislator over it and He is in absolute control of it, having no one to oppose His decisions.
فَاعۡبُدۡهُ وَاصۡطَبِرۡ لِعِبَادَتِهِ
هَلۡ تَعۡلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيًّا
so worship Him and abide patiently in his worship. Do you know of any who is similar to Him!
Ali bin Abi Talhah related that Ibn Abbas said that this means,
Do you know any comparison or something similar to the Lord!
Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj and others all said the same.
Ikrimah related that Ibn Abbas said,
There is no one named Ar-Rahman (the Most Beneficent) other than Him, Blessed and Exalted is He. Most Holy is His Name.
Man's Amazement about Life after Death and the Refutation against this Amazement
Allah, the Exalted, informs that mankind is amazed that he could be returned to life after death and he thinks that this is something farfetched.
As Allah says,
وَإِن تَعۡجَبۡ فَعَجَبٌ قَوۡلُهُمۡ أَءِذَا كُنَّا تُرَابًا أَءِنَّا لَفِى خَلۡقٍ جَدِيدٍ
And if you wonder, then wondrous is their saying:When we are dust, shall we indeed then be (raised) in a new creation! (13:5)
Allah also says,
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَ الاِنسَـنُ أَنَّا خَلَقۡنَـهُ مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مٌّبِينٌ
وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلً وَنَسِىَ خَلۡقَهُ قَالَ مَن يُحىِ الۡعِظَـمَ وَهِىَ رَمِيمٌ
قُلۡ يُحۡيِيهَا الَّذِى أَنشَأَهَأ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلۡقٍ عَلِيمٌ
Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah. Yet behold he (stands forth) as an open opponent. And he puts forth for Us a parable and forgets his own creation. He says:Who will give life to these bones after they are rotten and have become dust!
Say:He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation! (36:77-79)
And Allah says here in this Surah,
وَيَقُولُ الاِۡنسَانُ أَيِذَا مَا مِتُّ لَسَوۡفَ أُخۡرَجُ حَيًّا
أَوَلَا يَذۡكُرُ الاِۡنسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقۡنَاهُ مِن قَبۡلُ وَلَمۡ يَكُ شَيۡيًا
And man says:When I am dead, shall I then be raised up alive!
Does not man remember that We created him before, while he was nothing!
Allah uses the beginning of creation as a proof for its repetition. This means that He, the Exalted, created the human being while he was nothing. So can he not repeat this creation after the human had actually become something.
Similarly Allah says;
وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبۡدَأُ الۡخَلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهۡوَنُ عَلَيۡهِ
And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it; and this is easier for Him. (30:27)
In the Sahih it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,
يَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالَى
كَذَّبَنِي ابۡنُ ادَمَ وَلَمۡ يَكُنۡ لَهُ أَنۡ يُكَذِّبَنِي وَاذَانِي ابۡنُ ادَمَ وَلَمۡ يَكُنۡ لَهُ أَنۡ يُوۡذِيَنِي
أَمَّا تَكۡذِيبُهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوۡلُهُ لَنۡ يُعِيدَنِي كَمَا بَدَأَنِي
وَلَيۡسَ أَوَّلُ الۡخَلۡقِ بِأَهۡوَنَ عَلَيَّ مِنۡ اخِرِهِ
وَأَمَّا أَذَاهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوۡلُهُ إِنَّ لِي وَلَدًا
وَأَنَا الاۡأَحَدُ الصَّمَدُ الَّذِي لَمۡ يَلِدۡ وَلَمۡ يُولَدۡ وَلَمۡ يَكُنۡ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَد
Allah, the Exalted said,
The son of Adam denies Me and he has no right to deny Me. The son of Adam harms Me and he has no right to harm Me.
His denial of Me is his statement that I will never repeat His creation like I created him the first time.
Yet, the second creation is not more difficult upon Me than the first.
His harming Me is his statement that I have a son.
Yet, I am One Alone, the Self-Sufficient Whom all creatures need. He Who does not beget children, nor was He born and there is none coequal or comparable unto Him.
Concerning Allah's statement
فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَحۡشُرَنَّهُمۡ وَالشَّيَاطِينَ
So by your Lord, surely We shall gather them together, and the Shayatin,
The Lord, Blessed be He the Most High, swears by His Noble Self that He will definitely gather all of those who worshipped other than Allah and their devils as well.
ثُمَّ لَنُحۡضِرَنَّهُمۡ حَوۡلَ جَهَنَّمَ جِثِيًّا
then We shall bring them round Hell, Jithiyya.
Al-Awfi related that Ibn Abbas said,
This means sitting and it is similar to His statement,
وَتَرَى كُلَّ أُمَّةٍ جَاثِيَةً
And you will see each nation Jathiyah. (45:28)
As-Suddi commented on the word Jithiyya,
It means standing.
It has been reported from Murrah that Ibn Mas`ud said the same.
Concerning Allah's statement
ثُمَّ لَنَنزِعَنَّ مِن كُلِّ شِيعَةٍ
Then indeed We shall drag out from every sect,
This means from every nation.
This is what Mujahid said.
أَيُّهُمۡ أَشَدُّ عَلَى الرَّحۡمَنِ عِتِيًّا
all those who were worst in obstinate rebellion against the Most Gracious.
Ath-Thawri reported from Ali bin Al-Aqmar, from Abu Al-Ahwas, from Ibn Mas`ud that he said,
The first of them will be bound to the last of them until their number is complete. Then, they will be brought all together. Then, Allah will begin with the greatest of them in crime and continue in succession.
That is Allah's statement,
ثُمَّ لَنَنزِعَنَّ مِن كُلِّ شِيعَةٍ أَيُّهُمۡ أَشَدُّ عَلَى الرَّحۡمَنِ عِتِيًّا
Then indeed We shall drag out from every sect all those who were worst in obstinate rebellion against the Most Gracious.
This is similar to Allah's statement,
حَتَّى إِذَا ادَّارَكُواۡ فِيهَا جَمِيعًا قَالَتۡ أُخۡرَاهُمۡ لاٍّولَـهُمۡ رَبَّنَا هَـوُلاءِ أَضَلُّونَا فَـَاتِهِمۡ عَذَابًا ضِعۡفًا مِّنَ النَّارِ
Until they will be gathered all together in the Fire. The last of them will say to the first of them:Our Lord! These misled us, so give them a double torment of the Fire. Until His saying,
بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَكۡسِبُونَ
(For what you used to earn). (7:38-39)
The first of them will say to the last of them:Your were not better than us, so taste the torment for what you used to earn.
Concerning Allah's statement,
ثُمَّ لَنَحۡنُ أَعۡلَمُ بِالَّذِينَ هُمۡ أَوۡلَى بِهَا صِلِيًّا
Then, verily, We know best those who are most worthy of being burnt therein.
Then, at this point Allah attaches one piece of information to another.
The meaning here is that Allah best knows which of His creatures deserve to be burned in the fire of Hell and remain there forever and who deserves to have his punishment doubled.
This is as He says in the Ayah that was previously mentioned,
قَالَ لِكُلٍّ ضِعۡفٌ وَلَـكِن لاَّ تَعۡلَمُونَ
He will say:For each one there is double (torment), but you know not. (7:38)
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