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Ayah
Word by Word
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا
O mankind
ٱلنَّاسُ
O mankind
ضُرِبَ
Is set forth
مَثَلٞ
an example
فَٱسۡتَمِعُواْ
so listen
لَهُۥٓۚ
to it
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
those whom
تَدۡعُونَ
you invoke
مِن
besides Allah
دُونِ
besides Allah
ٱللَّهِ
besides Allah
لَن
will never
يَخۡلُقُواْ
create
ذُبَابٗا
a fly
وَلَوِ
even if
ٱجۡتَمَعُواْ
they gathered together
لَهُۥۖ
for it
وَإِن
And if
يَسۡلُبۡهُمُ
snatched away from them
ٱلذُّبَابُ
the fly
شَيۡـٔٗا
a thing
لَّا
not
يَسۡتَنقِذُوهُ
they (could) take it back
مِنۡهُۚ
from it
ضَعُفَ
So weak
ٱلطَّالِبُ
(are) the seeker
وَٱلۡمَطۡلُوبُ
and the one who is sought
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا
O mankind
ٱلنَّاسُ
O mankind
ضُرِبَ
Is set forth
مَثَلٞ
an example
فَٱسۡتَمِعُواْ
so listen
لَهُۥٓۚ
to it
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱلَّذِينَ
those whom
تَدۡعُونَ
you invoke
مِن
besides Allah
دُونِ
besides Allah
ٱللَّهِ
besides Allah
لَن
will never
يَخۡلُقُواْ
create
ذُبَابٗا
a fly
وَلَوِ
even if
ٱجۡتَمَعُواْ
they gathered together
لَهُۥۖ
for it
وَإِن
And if
يَسۡلُبۡهُمُ
snatched away from them
ٱلذُّبَابُ
the fly
شَيۡـٔٗا
a thing
لَّا
not
يَسۡتَنقِذُوهُ
they (could) take it back
مِنۡهُۚ
from it
ضَعُفَ
So weak
ٱلطَّالِبُ
(are) the seeker
وَٱلۡمَطۡلُوبُ
and the one who is sought
Translation
O men! Here is a parable set forth! listen to it! Those on whom, besides Allah, ye call, cannot create (even) a fly, if they all met together for the purpose! and if the fly should snatch away anything from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. Feeble are those who petition and those whom they petition!
Tafsir
O mankind, that is to say, [O] people of Mecca, a similitude is being struck, so listen to it, and it is that: truly those on whom you call, [whom] you worship, besides God, that is, other than Him, and these are the idols, will never create a fly (dhubaab is a generic noun, the singular of which is dhubaaba, for both the masculine and the feminine) even if they rallied together to do so, to create it. And if a fly should take away something from them, [such as a drop] of the scents or the saffron in which they drench themselves, they would not be able to recover that from it, because of their [complete] incapacity: so how can they worship those [whom they suppose to be] partners of God, exalted be He? An odd thing - which He has expressed by striking a similitude. Feeble is the seeker, the worshipper, and the [thing] sought, the [thing] worshipped!
The insignificance of the Idols and the foolishness of their Worshippers
Here Allah points out the insignificance of the idols and the foolishness of those who worship them.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ
O mankind! A parable has been made,
meaning, a parable of that which is worshipped by those who are ignorant of Allah and who join others as partners with Him.
فَاسۡتَمِعُوا لَهُ
so listen to it,
pay attention and understand.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَن يَخۡلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجۡتَمَعُوا لَهُ
Verily, those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose.
Even if all the idols and false gods whom you worship were to come together to create a single fly, they would not be able to do that.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah recorded the Marfu` report:
وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنۡ خَلَقَ خَلۡقًا كَخَلۡقِي فَلۡيَخۡلُقُوا مِثۡلَ خَلۡقِي ذَرَّةً أَوۡ ذُبَابَةً أَوۡ حَبَّة
Who does more wrong than one who tries to create something like My creation! Let them create an ant or a fly or a seed like My creation!
This was also recorded by the authors of the Two Sahihs via `Umarah from Abu Zur`ah from Abu Hurayrah, who said that the Prophet said:
قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمَنۡ أَظۡلَمُ مِمَّنۡ ذَهَبَ يَخۡلُقُ كَخَلۡقِي فَلۡيَخۡلُقُوا ذَرَّةً فَلۡيَخۡلُقُوا شَعِيرَة
Allah says:Who does more wrong than one who tries to create (something) like My creation! Let them create an ant, let them create a grain of barley.
Then Allah says:
وَإِن يَسۡلُبۡهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيۡيًا لاَّ يَسۡتَنقِذُوهُ مِنۡهُ
And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from the fly.
They are unable to create a single fly and, moreover, they are unable to resist it or take revenge against it if it were to take anything from the good and perfumed thing on which it lands. If they wanted to recover that, they would not be able to, even though the fly is the weakest and most insignificant of Allah's creatures.
Allah says:
ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالۡمَطۡلُوبُ
So weak are the seeker and the sought.
Ibn Abbas said,
The seeker is the idol and the sought is the fly.
This was the view favored by Ibn Jarir, and it is what is apparent from the context.
As-Suddi and others said,
The seeker is the worshipper, and the sought is the idol.
Then Allah says
مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدۡرِهِ
They have not regarded Allah with His rightful esteem.
meaning, they have not recognized the might and power of Allah when they worship alongside Him those who cannot even ward off a fly, because they are so weak and incapable.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ
Verily, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.
means, He is the All-Strong Who, by His might and power, created all things.
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)
إِنَّ بَطۡشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبۡدِىءُ وَيُعِيدُ
Verily, the punishment of your Lord is severe and painful. Verily, He it is Who begins and repeats. (85:12-13)
إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الۡقُوَّةِ الۡمَتِينُ
Verily, Allah is the Provider, Owner of power, the Most Strong. (51:58)
عَزِيزٌ
(All-Mighty),
means, He has subjugated and subdued all things, and there is none that can resist Him or overcome His might and power, and He is the One, the Subduer
Allah chooses Messengers from the Angels and Messengers from Mankind
Allah tells:
اللَّهُ يَصۡطَفِي مِنَ الۡمَلَيِكَةِ رُسُلً وَمِنَ النَّاسِ
Allah chooses Messengers from angels and from men.
Allah tells us that He chooses Messengers from His angels as He wills by His law and decree, and He chooses Messengers from mankind to convey His Message.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ
Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer.
means, He hears all that His servants say, and He sees them and knows who among them is deserving of that, as He says:
اللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ حَيۡثُ يَجۡعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ
Allah knows best with whom to place His Message. (6:124)
يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ
وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرۡجَعُ الامُورُ
He knows what is before them, and what is behind them. And to Allah return all matters.
He knows what will happen to His Messengers and the Message He sent them with, for none of their affairs are hidden from Him.
He says:
عَالِمُ الۡغَيۡبِ فَلَا يُظۡهِرُ عَلَى غَيۡبِهِ أَحَدًا
إِلاَّ مَنِ ارۡتَضَى مِن رَّسُولٍ فَإِنَّهُ يَسۡلُكُ مِن بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِ رَصَدًا
لِيَعۡلَمَ أَن قَدۡ أَبۡلَغُوا رِسَالَاتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ وَأَحۡصَى كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ عَدَدًا
The All-Knower of the Unseen, and He reveals to none His Unseen. Except to a Messenger whom He has chosen, and then He makes a band of watching guards to march before him and behind him. Till he knows that they have conveyed the Messages of their Lord. And He surrounds all that which is with them, and He keeps count of all things. (72:26-28)
So He, may He be glorified, is guarding them, and is Witness to what is said about them. He is protecting them and supporting them.
يَـأَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغۡ مَأ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَإِن لَّمۡ تَفۡعَلۡ فَمَا بَلَّغۡتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللَّهُ يَعۡصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ
O Messenger! Proclaim which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allah will protect you from mankind. (5:67
The Command to worship Allah and engage in Jihad
Allah said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا ارۡكَعُوا وَاسۡجُدُوا وَاعۡبُدُوا رَبَّكُمۡ
وَافۡعَلُوا الۡخَيۡرَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ
O you who believe! Bow down, and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord and do good that you may be successful.
It was reported from Uqbah bin Amir that the Prophet said:
فُضِّلَتۡ سُورَةُ الۡحَجِّ بِسَجۡدَتَيۡنِ فَمَنۡ لَمۡ يَسۡجُدۡهُمَا فَلَ يَقۡرَأۡهُمَا
Surah Al-Hajj has been blessed with two Sajdah, so whoever does not prostrate them should not read them
وَجَاهِدُوا فِي اللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِ
And strive hard in Allah's cause as you ought to strive.
means, with your wealth and your tongues and your bodies.
This is like the Ayah:
اتَّقُواۡ اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ
Have Taqwa of Allah as is His due. (3:102)
هُوَ اجۡتَبَاكُمۡ
He has chosen you,
means, `O Ummah (of Islam), Allah has selected you and chosen you over all other nations, and has favored you and blessed you and honored you with the noblest of Messengers and the noblest of Laws.'
وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فِي الدِّينِ مِنۡ حَرَجٍ
and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship,
He has not given you more than you can bear and He has not obliged you to do anything that will cause you difficulty except that He has created for you a way out. So the Salah, which is the most important pillar of Islam after the two testimonies of faith, is obligatory, four Rak`ahs when one is settled, which are shortened to two Rak`ah when one is traveling.
According to some Imams, only one Rak`ahs is obligatory at times of fear, as was recorded in the Hadith.
A person may pray while walking or riding, facing the Qiblah or otherwise. When praying optional prayers while traveling, one may face the Qiblah or not.
A person is not obliged to stand during the prayer if he is sick; the sick person may pray sitting down, and if he is not able to do that then he may pray lying on his side.
And there are other exemptions and dispensations which may apply to the obligatory prayers and other duties. So the Prophet said:
بُعِثۡتُ بِالۡحَنِيفِيَّةِ السَّمۡحَة
I have been sent with the easy Hanifi way.
And he said to Mu`adh and Abu Musa, when he sent them as governors to Yemen:
بَشِّرَا وَلَا تُنَفِّرا وَيَسِّرَا وَلَا تُعَسِّرَا
Give good news and do not repel them. Make things easy for the people and do not make the things difficult for them.
And there are many similar Hadiths.
Ibn Abbas said concerning the Ayah,
وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فِي الدِّينِ مِنۡ حَرَجٍ
(and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship),
This means difficulty.
مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمۡ إِبۡرَاهِيمَ
It is the religion of your father Ibrahim.
Ibn Jarir said,
This refers back to the Ayah,
وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فِي الدِّينِ مِنۡ حَرَجٍ
(and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship), meaning, any difficulty.
On the contrary, He has made it easy for you, like the religion of your father Ibrahim. He said,
It may be that it means:adhere to the religion of your father Ibrahim.
I say:This interpretation of the Ayah is like the Ayah:
قُلۡ إِنَّنِى هَدَانِى رَبِّى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ دِينًا قِيَمًا مِّلَّةَ إِبۡرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا
Say:Truly, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrahim, a Hanif. (6:161)
هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الۡمُسۡلِمينَ مِن قَبۡلُ وَفِي هَذَا
He has named you Muslims both before and in this (Qur'an),
Imam Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak said, narrating from Ibn Jurayj, from Ata', from Ibn Abbas:concerning Allah's saying,
هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الۡمُسۡلِمينَ مِن قَبۡلُ
(He has named you Muslims before),
This refers to Allah, may He be glorified.
This was also the view of Mujahid, Ata', Ad-Dahhak, As-Suddi, Muqatil bin Hayyan and Qatadah.
Mujahid said,
Allah named you Muslims before, in the previous Books and in Adh-Dhikr,
وَفِي هَذَا
(and in this), means, the Qur'an.
This was also the view of others, because Allah says:
هُوَ اجۡتَبَاكُمۡ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فِي الدِّينِ مِنۡ حَرَجٍ
He has chosen you, and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship,
Then He urged them to follow the Message which His Messenger brought, by reminding them that this was the religion of their father Ibrahim.
Then He mentioned His blessings to this Ummah, whereby He mentioned them and praised them long ago in the Books of the Prophets which were recited to the rabbis and monks. Allah says:
هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الۡمُسۡلِمينَ مِن قَبۡلُ
(He has named you Muslims both before) meaning, before the Qur'an,
وَفِي هَذَا
(and in this).
Under the explanation of this Ayah, An-Nasa'i recorded from Al-Harith Al-Ash`ari from the Messenger of Allah, who said:
مَنۡ دَعَا بِدَعۡوَى الۡجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَإِنَّهُ مِنۡ جِثِيِّ جَهَنَّم
Whoever adopts the call of Jahiliyyah, will be one of those who will crawl on their knees in Hell.
A man said, O Messenger of Allah, even if he fasts and performs Salah?
He said,
نَعَمۡ وَإِنۡ صَامَ وَصَلَّى فَادۡعُوا بِدَعۡوَةِ اللهِ الَّتِي سَمَّاكُمۡ بِهَا الۡمُسۡلِمِينَ الۡمُوۡمِنِينَ عِبَادَ الله
Yes, even if he fasts and performs Salah. So adopt the call of Allah whereby He called you Muslims and believers and servants of Allah.
لِيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ
that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you be witnesses over mankind!
means, `thus We have made you a just and fair nation, the best of nations, and all other nations will testify to your justice. On the Day of Resurrection you will be,
شُهَدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ
(witnesses over mankind),' because on that Day all the nations will acknowledge its leadership and its precedence over all others.
Therefore, on the Day of Resurrection the testimony of the members of this community will be accepted as proof that the Messengers conveyed the Message of their Lord to them, and the Messenger will testify that he conveyed the Message to them.
فَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَأةَ وَاتُوا الزَّكَاةَ
So perform the Salah, give Zakah,
means, respond to this great blessing with gratitude by fulfilling your duties towards Allah, doing that which He has enjoined upon you and avoiding that which He had forbidden.
Among the most important duties are establishing regular prayer and giving Zakah.
Zakah is a form of beneficence towards Allah's creatures, whereby He has enjoined upon the rich to give a little of their wealth to the poor each year, to help the weak and needy. We have already mentioned its explanation in the Ayah of Zakah in Surah At-Tawbah (9:5).
وَاعۡتَصِمُوا بِاللَّهِ
and hold fast to Allah.
means, seek the help and support of Allah and put your trust in Him, and get strength from Him.
هُوَ مَوۡلَاكُمۡ
He is your Mawla,
meaning, He is your Protector and your Helper, He is the One Who will cause you to prevail against your enemies.
فَنِعۡمَ الۡمَوۡلَى وَنِعۡمَ النَّصِيرُ
what an Excellent Mawla and what an Excellent Helper!
He is the best Mawla and the best Helper against your enemies.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Hajj. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and Companions, and grant them peace; may Allah honor and be pleased with the Companions and those who follow them in truth until the Day of Resurrection.
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