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Ayah
Word by Word
يَعۡلَمُ
He knows
مَا
what
بَيۡنَ
(is) before them
أَيۡدِيهِمۡ
(is) before them
وَمَا
and what
خَلۡفَهُمۡ
(is) behind them
وَلَا
while not
يُحِيطُونَ
they encompass
بِهِۦ
it
عِلۡمٗا
(in) knowledge
يَعۡلَمُ
He knows
مَا
what
بَيۡنَ
(is) before them
أَيۡدِيهِمۡ
(is) before them
وَمَا
and what
خَلۡفَهُمۡ
(is) behind them
وَلَا
while not
يُحِيطُونَ
they encompass
بِهِۦ
it
عِلۡمٗا
(in) knowledge
Translation
He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them: but they shall not compass it with their knowledge.
Tafsir
He knows what is before them, of the affairs of the Hereafter, and behind them, of the affairs of this world, and they do not comprehend such [things] in knowledge: they have no knowledge of such [things].
The Entire Qur'an is the Remembrance of Allah and mentioning the Punishment of Those Who turn away from It
Allah the Exalted says,
كَذَلِكَ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ أَنبَاء مَا قَدۡ سَبَقَ وَقَدۡ اتَيۡنَاكَ مِن لَّدُنَّا ذِكۡرًا
Thus We relate to you some information of what happened before. And indeed We have given you from Us a Reminder.
Allah, the Exalted, is saying to Prophet Muhammad, `We have told you (O Muhammad) the story of Musa and what happened with him, Fir`awn and his armies, just as it actually happened.
Likewise, We relate to you the information of the past just as it happened, without any increase or decrease.
We also gave you a remembrance from Us, the Mighty Qur'an, no falsehood comes to it from before it or behind it.' It is a revelation from One Most Wise, Most Praiseworthy.
No Prophet was given any Book like it or more complete than it, since the time of the previous Prophets who were sent, until their being sealed off with the coming of Muhammad.
No Prophet was given any Book containing as much information than the Qur'an about what has past and what would be. The judgement concerning the distinction between mankind is taken from it. Therefore, Allah says about it
مَنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَنۡهُ
Whoever turns away from it,
This means whoever denies it and turns away from following its commands and instructions, while seeking guidance from other than it, then Allah will mislead him and send him on the path to Hell.
This is why Allah says,
مَنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَنۡهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَحۡمِلُ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ وِزۡرًا
Whoever turns away from it, verily, they will bear a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection.
Burden here means sin.
This is as Allah says,
وَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِهِ مِنَ الاٌّحۡزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوۡعِدُهُ
But those of the sects that reject it, the Fire will be their promised meeting place. (11:17)
This applies generally to whoever the Qur'an reaches of the Arabs, the non-Arabs, the People of the Book and others.
This is as Allah says,
لااٌّنذِرَكُمۡ بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغ
That I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach. (6:19)
The Qur'an is a final warning for everyone it reaches. Whoever follows it, then he is rightly guided and whoever opposes it and turns away from it, then he is misguided. He will be wretched in this life, and he is promised that on the Day of Resurrection his abode will be the Hellfire. For this reason Allah says,
مَنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَنۡهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَحۡمِلُ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ وِزۡرًا
خَالِدِينَ فِيهِ
Whoever turns away from it, verily, they will bear a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection. They will abide in that.
They will not be able to avoid this or escape it.
وَسَاء لَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَةِ حِمۡلً
And evil indeed will it be that load for them on the Day of Resurrection
The Blowing of the Sur and the Day of Resurrection
Allah the Exalted says,
يَوۡمَ يُنفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ وَنَحۡشُرُ الۡمُجۡرِمِينَ يَوۡمَيِذٍ زُرۡقًا
The Day when the Sur will be blown:that Day, We shall gather the criminals blue-eyed.
It has been confirmed in a Hadith that the Messenger of Allah was asked about the Sur and he replied,
قَرۡنٌ يُنۡفَخُ فِيه
It is a horn that will be blown into.
It has been related in a Hadith about the Sur, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that;
it is a huge horn that has a circumference as large as the heavens and the earth. The angel Israfil will blow into it.
Another Hadith has been related which states that the Prophet said,
كَيۡفَ أَنۡعَمُ وَصَاحِبُ الۡقَرۡنِ قَدِ الۡتقَمَ الۡقَرۡنَ وَحَنَى جَبۡهَتَهُ وَانۡتَظَرَ أَنۡ يُوۡذَنَ لَه
How can I be comfortable when the one with the horn is holding it in his lips and his forehead is leaning forward, waiting to be given permission (to blow it).
The people said, O Messenger of Allah, what should we say!
He said,
قُولُوا
حَسۡبُنَا اللهُ وَنِعۡمَ الۡوَكِيلُ عَلَى اللهِ تَوَكَّلۡنَا
Say:
Allah is sufficient for us and what a good protector He is. Upon Allah we place our trust.
Concerning His statement,
..
وَنَحۡشُرُ الۡمُجۡرِمِينَ يَوۡمَيِذٍ زُرۡقًا
And We shall gather the criminals blue-eyed.
It has been said that this means having blue eyes due to the severity of their horrifying situation
يَتَخَافَتُونَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ
They will speak in a very low voice to each other.
Ibn Abbas said,
This means whispering among themselves.
This means that some of them will be saying to others,
إِن لَّبِثۡتُمۡ إِلاَّ عَشۡرًا
You stayed not longer than ten.
meaning in the abode of the worldly life, you only tarried there for a little while. The time was equivalent to ten days or so.
Allah, the Exalted, then says
نَحۡنُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ
We know very well what they will say,
This means in their condition of conversing amongst themselves.
إِذۡ يَقُولُ أَمۡثَلُهُمۡ طَرِيقَةً
when the best among them in knowledge and wisdom will say;
the one with perfect intelligence amongst them,
إِن لَّبِثۡتُمۡ إِلاَّ يَوۡمًا
You stayed no longer than a day!
This is because on the Day of Judgement they will sense the shortness of the worldly life within themselves. For the worldly life, with its repetitious time periods and successive nights, days and hours, is as if it is just one day. For this reason, on the Day of Resurrection the disbelievers will think the worldly life was very short. By this they mean to prevent the establishment of the evidence against them due to the shortness of time that they had.
Allah says about this,
وَيَوۡمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُقۡسِمُ الۡمُجۡرِمُونَ مَا لَبِثُواۡ غَيۡرَ سَاعَةٍ
And on the Day that the Hour will be established, the criminals will swear that they stayed not but an hour, until His statement,
وَلَكِنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ
(but you knew not). (30:55-56)
Allah also says,
أَوَلَمۡ نُعَمِّرۡكُمۡ مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ وَجَأءَكُمُ النَّذِيرُ
Did We not give you lives long enough, so that whosoever would receive admonition could receive it! And the warner came to you. (35:37)
Allah, the Exalted, also says,
قَـلَ كَمۡ لَبِثۡتُمۡ فِى الاٌّرۡضِ عَدَدَ سِنِينَ
قَالُواۡ لَبِثۡنَا يَوۡماً أَوۡ بَعۡضَ يَوۡمٍ فَاسۡأَلِ الۡعَأدِّينَ
قَالَ إِن لَّبِثۡتُمۡ إِلاَّ قَلِيلً لَّوۡ أَنَّكُمۡ كُنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ
(Allah will say):What number of years did you stay on earth!
They will say:We stayed a day or part of a day. Ask of those who keep account.
He (Allah) will say:You stayed not but a little, if you had only known! (23:112-114)
This means that you only remained in it (the earth) a little while. If you only knew, you would have preferred the eternal life over the temporal life. Yet, you conducted yourselves in an evil manner. You gave the present, temporary life precedence over the eternal and everlasting life
The destruction of the Mountains, and the Earth becomes a Smooth Plain
Allah says,
وَيَسۡأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الۡجِبَالِ
And they ask you concerning the mountains.
This is a question, will they remain on the Day of Resurrection or will they cease to exist
فَقُلۡ يَنسِفُهَا رَبِّي نَسۡفًا
Say:My Lord will blast them and scatter them as particles of dust.
This means that He will take them away from their places, wipe them out and remove them completely
فَيَذَرُهَا
Then He shall leave it,
referring to the earth;
قَاعًا صَفۡصَفًا
as a level smooth plain.
This means one expanse spread out.
The word Qa` means a piece of land that is level and the word Safsafa is used to place emphasis on this meaning.
It has also been said that Safsafa means that which has no vegetation growing in it.
The first meaning is preferred, even though the second meaning is also included by necessity.
In reference to this, Allah says,
لَاا تَرَى فِيهَا عِوَجًا وَلَاا أَمۡتًا
You will see therein no crookedness nor curve.
meaning, `on that Day you will not see in the earth any valley, hill, or any place, whether low or elevated.'
Ibn Abbas, Ikrimah, Mujahid, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ad-Dahhak, Qatadah and others of the Salaf all said the same.
The People will rush towards the Voice of the Caller
Allah says
يَوۡمَيِذٍ يَتَّبِعُونَ الدَّاعِيَ لَا عِوَجَ لَهُ
On that Day mankind will follow strictly Allah's caller, no crookedness will they show him.
On the Day, they see these conditions and these frightening sights, they will hastily respond to the caller. Wherever they are commanded to go, they will rush to it. If they had been like this in the worldly life, it would have been more beneficial for them, but here it does not benefit them.
This is as Allah says,
أَسۡمِعۡ بِهِمۡ وَأَبۡصِرۡ يَوۡمَ يَأۡتُونَنَا
How clearly will they see and hear, the Day when they will appear before Us! (19:38)
Allah also says,
مُّهۡطِعِينَ إِلَى الدَّاعِ
hastening towards the caller. (54:8)
Concerning Allah's statement,
وَخَشَعَت الاَۡصۡوَاتُ لِلرَّحۡمَنِ
And all voices will be humbled for the Most Gracious,
Ibn Abbas said,
This means they will be silent.
As-Suddi also said the same.
فَلَ تَسۡمَعُ إِلاَّ هَمۡسًا
And nothing shall you hear except Hamsa.
Sa`id bin Jubayr related that Ibn Abbas said,
This means the steps of feet.
Ikrimah, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas, Qatadah, Ibn Zayd and others all said the same.
Ali bin Abi Talhah said that Ibn Abbas said,
فَلَ تَسۡمَعُ إِلاَّ هَمۡسًا
(And nothing shall you hear except Hamsa),
Hamsa means a hidden voice.
This has also been reported from Ikrimah and Ad-Dahhak. Sa`id bin Jubayr said,
فَلَ تَسۡمَعُ إِلاَّ هَمۡسًا
(And nothing shall you hear except Hamsa),
Hamsa means the secret speech and the steps of feet.
The Intercession and the Recompense
Allah, the Exalted, says,
يَوۡمَيِذٍ
On that day,
the Day of Resurrection,
لاَّا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ
no intercession shall avail.
meaning with Him (Allah).
إِلاَّ مَنۡ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحۡمَنُ وَرَضِيَ لَهُ قَوۡلاً
except the one for whom the Most Gracious has given permission and whose word is acceptable to Him.
This is similar to His statement,
مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذۡنِهِ
Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission. (2:255)
It is also similar to His statement,
وَكَمۡ مِّن مَّلَكٍ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ لَا تُغۡنِى شَفَـعَتُهُمۡ شَيۡياً إِلاَّ مِن بَعۡدِ أَن يَأۡذَنَ اللَّهُ لِمَن يَشَأءُ وَيَرۡضَى
And there are many angels in the heavens, whose intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He wills and is pleased with. (53:26)
He also says,
وَلَا يَشۡفَعُونَ إِلاَّ لِمَنِ ارۡتَضَى وَهُمۡ مِّنۡ خَشۡيَتِهِ مُشۡفِقُونَ
And they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of Him. (21:28)
He also says,
وَلَا تَنفَعُ الشَّفَـعَةُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ لِمَنۡ أَذِنَ لَهُ
Intercession with Him profits not except for him whom He permits. (34:23)
And He says,
يَوۡمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالۡمَلَـيِكَةُ صَفّاً لاَّ يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلاَّ مَنۡ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحۡمَـنُ وَقَالَ صَوَاباً
The Day that Ar-Ruh and the angels will stand forth in rows, they will not speak except him whom the Most Gracious allows, and he will speak what is right. (78:38)
In the Two Sahihs it is reported from the leader of the Children of Adam and the Noblest of all the creatures to Allah, Muhammad:
اتِي تَحۡتَ الۡعَرۡشِ وَأَخِرُّ للهِ سَاجِدًا وَيَفۡتَحُ عَلَيَّ بِمَحَامِدَ لَا أُحۡصِيهَا الاۡنَ فَيَدَعُنِي مَا شَاءَ أَنۡ يَدَعَنِي ثُمَّ يَقُولُ يَا مُحَمَّدُ ارۡفَعۡ رَأۡسَكَ وَقُلۡ يُسۡمَعۡ وَاشۡفَعۡ تُشَفَّعۡ فَيَحُدُّ لِي حَدًّا فَأُدۡخِلُهُمُ الۡجَنَّةَ ثُمَّ أَعُود
I will come under the Throne and I will fall down into prostration. Then, I will be inspired to make praises (of Allah) that I am not able to recall them now. Allah will leave me in this condition as long as He wishes. Then, He will say, O Muhammad, raise your head. Speak and you will be heard, intercede and your intercession will be accepted.
Then, a designated group will be allowed for me (to intercede on their behalf). Allah will then enter them into Paradise and I will return (to repeat the process again).
The Prophet mentioned doing this four times. May Allah's blessings and peace be upon him and the rest of the Prophets as well.
In another Hadith it also mentions that he said,
يَقُولُ تَعَالَى أَخۡرِجُوا مِنَ النَّارِ مَنۡ كَانَ فِي قَلۡبِهِ مِثۡقَالُ حَبَّةٍ مِنۡ إِيمَانٍ
فَيُخۡرِجُونَ خَلۡقًا كَثِيرًا
ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَخۡرِجُوا مِنَ النَّارِ مَنۡ كَانَ فِي قَلۡبِهِ نِصۡفُ مِثۡقَالٍ مِنۡ إِيمَانٍ
أَخۡرِجُوا مِنَ النَّارِ مَنۡ كَانَ فِي قَلۡبِهِ مَا يَزِنُ ذَرَّةً
مَنۡ كَانَ فِي قَلۡبِهِ أَدۡنَى أَدۡنَى مِثۡقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ مِنۡ إِيمَان
Allah, the Exalted, will say, Bring out of the Fire whoever has a seed's weight of faith in his heart.
So a large number of people will be brought out.
Then He will say,
Bring out of the Fire whoever has a half of a seed's weight of faith in his heart.
Bring out whoever has the weight of a speck of dust in his heart.
Bring out whoever has the weight of the smallest and tiniest particle of dust of faith in his heart.
And the Hadith continues.
Concerning Allah's statement
يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ
He knows what happens to them and what will happen to them,
He encompasses all creation with His knowledge.
وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلۡمًا
but they will never encompass anything of His knowledge.
This is like His statement,
وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيۡءٍ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِ إِلاَّ بِمَا شَأءَ
And they will never encompass anything of His knowledge except that which He wills. (2:255)
Concerning Allah's statement
وَعَنَتِ الۡوُجُوهُ لِلۡحَيِّ الۡقَيُّومِ
And (all) faces shall be humbled before the Ever Living, the Sustainer.
Ibn Abbas and others said,
This means that the creatures will be humbled, submissive and compliant to their Compeller, the Ever Living, Who does not die, the Sustainer of all, Who does not sleep.
He is the maintainer of everything. He determines the affairs of everything and preserves everything. He is perfect in His Self. He is the One Whom everything is in need of and whom nothing could survive without.
Concerning His statement,
.
وَقَدۡ خَابَ مَنۡ حَمَلَ ظُلۡمًا
And he who carried wrongdoing, will be indeed a complete failure.
meaning on the Day of Resurrection. For verily, Allah will give every due right to the one who deserved it. Even the ram who lost its horn will be given revenge against the one who had horns.
In the Sahih, it is recorded that the Prophet said,
إِيَّاكُمۡ وَالظُّلۡمَ فَإِنَّ الظُّلۡمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيَامَة
Beware of wrongdoing (or oppression), for verily, wrongdoing will be darknesses on the Day of Resurrection.
And the true failure is for whoever meets Allah while associating partners with Him. Allah the Exalted says,
إِنَّ الشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمٌ
(Verily, associating partners with Me is the great wrongdoing).
Allah's statement,
وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِنَ الصَّالِحَاتِ وَهُوَ مُوۡمِنٌ فَلَ يَخَافُ ظُلۡمًا وَلَا هَضۡمًا
And he who works deeds of righteousness, while he is a believer, then he will have no fear of injustice, nor of any curtailment.
After Allah mentions the wrongdoers and their threat, He then commends the pious people and mentions the judgement they receive. Their judgement is that they will not be wronged nor oppressed.
This means that their evils will not be increased and their good deeds will not be decreased.
This was stated by Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and others.
Zulm means an increase that comes from the sins of others being placed upon the person, and Hadm means a decrease
The Qur'an was revealed so that the People would have Taqwa and reflect
Allah says,
وَكَذَلِكَ أَنزَلۡنَاهُ قُرۡانًا عَرَبِيًّا
And thus We have sent it down as a Qur'an in Arabic,
After Allah, the Exalted, mentions that on the Day of Judgement both the good and the evil will be recompensed and there is no avoiding it, He then explains that the Qur'an was revealed as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner in the clear and eloquent Arabic language. There is no confusion or deficiency in it.
وَصَرَّفۡنَا فِيهِ مِنَ الۡوَعِيدِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَّقُونَ
and have explained therein in detail the warnings, in order that they may have Taqwa of,
This means:so that they will leave off sins, forbidden things and lewd abominations.
أَوۡ يُحۡدِثُ لَهُمۡ ذِكۡرًا
or that it may cause them to have a lesson from it.
This means:to produce acts of obedience and deeds that will bring one closer to Allah
فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الۡمَلِكُ الۡحَقُّ
Then High above all be Allah, the True King.
This means:Most Holy and Majestic is He, the True King, Who is Himself the Truth and His promise is true. Likewise, His threat is true, His Messengers are true, the Paradise is true, the Hellfire is true and everything from Him is true. His justice is that He does not punish anyone before warning them, sending Messengers to them and granting excuses to His creatures, so that no one will have any argument or doubt (on Judgment Day).
The Command to the Prophet to listen to the Qur'an when it is revealed without making haste to recite it
Concerning Allah's statement,
وَلَا تَعۡجَلۡ بِالۡقُرۡانِ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن يُقۡضَى إِلَيۡكَ وَحۡيُهُ
And be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you,
This is similar to Allah's statement,
لَا تُحَرِّكۡ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعۡجَلَ بِهِ
إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا جَمۡعَهُ وَقُرۡءَانَهُ
فَإِذَا قَرَأۡنَـهُ فَاتَّبِعۡ قُرۡءَانَهُ
ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا بَيَانَهُ
Move not your tongue to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you the ability to recite it. And when We have recited it to you, then follow its recital. Then it is for Us to made it clear (to you). (75:16-19)
It is confirmed in the Sahih on the authority of Ibn Abbas, who said that;
the Messenger of Allah used to go through great pains to retain the revelation. In doing so he used to move his tongue rapidly with its recital. Then, Allah revealed this Ayah. This means that whenever Jibril would say an Ayah, the Prophet would say it with him due to his eagerness to memorize it. Then, Allah guided him to that which was easier and lighter in this matter, to relieve him of this difficulty.
Allah said,
لَا تُحَرِّكۡ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعۡجَلَ بِهِ
إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا جَمۡعَهُ وَقُرۡءَانَهُ
Move not your tongue to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you the ability to recite it. (75:16-17)
Meaning, We will gather it in your chest, then you will recite it to the people without forgetting anything of it.
فَإِذَا قَرَأۡنَـهُ فَاتَّبِعۡ قُرۡءَانَهُ
ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيۡنَا بَيَانَهُ
And when We have recited it to you, then follow its recital. Then it is for Us to made it clear (to you). (75:18-19)
And He said in this Ayah,
وَلَا تَعۡجَلۡ بِالۡقُرۡانِ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن يُقۡضَى إِلَيۡكَ وَحۡيُهُ
And be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you,
This is a command to the Prophet to listen quietly:`Then, when the angel (Jibril) completes reciting to you, you recite it after him.'
وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدۡنِي عِلۡمًا
and say:My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.
meaning, Give me more knowledge from You.
Ibn Uyaynah said,
The Prophet did not cease increasing (in knowledge) until Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, took him (i.e. he died).
Not yet available. It requires resources to add this interpretation.
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