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Ayah
Word by Word
وَإِذَا
And when
قِيلَ
it is said
لَهُمُ
to them
ٱسۡجُدُواْۤ
Prostrate
لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ
to the Most Gracious
قَالُواْ
They say
وَمَا
And what
ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ
(is) the Most Gracious
أَنَسۡجُدُ
Should we prostrate
لِمَا
to what
تَأۡمُرُنَا
you order us
وَزَادَهُمۡ
And it increases them
نُفُورٗا۩
(in) aversion
وَإِذَا
And when
قِيلَ
it is said
لَهُمُ
to them
ٱسۡجُدُواْۤ
Prostrate
لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ
to the Most Gracious
قَالُواْ
They say
وَمَا
And what
ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ
(is) the Most Gracious
أَنَسۡجُدُ
Should we prostrate
لِمَا
to what
تَأۡمُرُنَا
you order us
وَزَادَهُمۡ
And it increases them
نُفُورٗا۩
(in) aversion
Translation
And when it is said to them, "Prostrate to the Most Merciful," they say, "And what is the Most Merciful? Should we prostrate to that which you order us?" And it increases them in aversion.
Tafsir
And when it is said to them, to the disbelievers of Mecca, 'Prostrate yourselves before the Compassionate One', they say, 'And what is the Compassionate One? Should we prostrate ourselves to whatever you bid us' (ta'murunaa; or read ya'murunaa, '[whatever] he bids us') - [in both cases] the one bidding is Muhammad may peace and salutation be upon him - when we do not know who He is? No! And it, this that is said to them, increases their aversion, to faith.
The Ignorance of the Idolators
Allah tells:
وَيَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَنفَعُهُمْ وَلَا يَضُرُّهُمْ
And they worship besides Allah, that which can neither profit them nor harm them;
Allah tells us how ignorant the idolators are; instead of worshipping Allah, they worship idols which do not possess the power either to harm or benefit. They do this with no evidence or proof; the only thing that led them to do this was their own whims and desires. So they take these idols as protectors and fight for their sake, and they oppose Allah and His Messenger and the believers for their sake.
Similarly Allah says:
وَكَانَ الْكَافِرُ عَلَى رَبِّهِ ظَهِيرًا
and the disbeliever is ever a helper against his Lord.
meaning, he is a supporter of Shaytan against the party of Allah, but the party of Allah are the ones who will prevail, as Allah says:
وَاتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ ءَالِهَةً لَّعَلَّهُمْ يُنصَرُونَ
لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ نَصْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ لَهُمْ جُندٌ مٌّحْضَرُونَ
And they have taken besides Allah gods, hoping that they might be helped. They cannot help them, but they will be brought forward as a troop against those who worshipped them. (36:74-75)
meaning, the gods which they worshipped instead of Allah cannot help them. These ignorant people are troops for the idols and are ready to fight for their sake and protect their sanctuaries, but in the end the victory will be for Allah and His Messenger and the believers, in this world and the Hereafter.
وَكَانَ الْكَافِرُ عَلَى رَبِّهِ ظَهِيرًا
and the disbeliever is ever a helper against his Lord.
Mujahid said:
He supports and helps the Shaytan in disobedience towards Allah.
The Messenger brings Glad Tidings and Warnings
Then Allah tells His Messenger:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلاَّ مُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا
And We have sent you only as a bearer of good news and a warner.
meaning, a bringer of good news to the believers, a warner to the disbelievers; bringing good news of Paradise to those who obey Allah, and bringing warnings of a dreadful punishment for those who go against the commandments of Allah
قُلْ مَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ
Say:No reward do I ask of you for this...
`for conveying this message and this warning, I do not ask for any reward from your wealth; I am only doing this for the sake of Allah, may He be exalted.'
لِمَن شَأءَ مِنكُمْ أَن يَسْتَقِيمَ
To whomsoever among you who wills to walk straight. (81:28)
إِلاَّ مَن شَاء أَن يَتَّخِذَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ سَبِيلً
save that whosoever wills, may take a path to his Lord.
means, a way and a methodology to be followed.
The Command to the Messenger to put his Trust in Allah, and some of His Qualities
Then Allah says
وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى الْحَيِّ الَّذِي لَا يَمُوتُ
And put your trust in the Ever Living One Who dies not,
meaning, in all your affairs, put your trust in Allah, the Ever-Living Who never dies, the One Who
الاَْوَّلُ وَالاْخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ
وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
(is the First and the Last, the Most High and the Most Near. And He is the All-Knower of everything. (57:3)
The Eternal, Ever-Lasting, Ever-Living, Self-Sufficient One, the Lord and Sovereign of all things, the One to Whom you should always turn.
Allah is the One in Whom you should put your trust and to Whom you should turn for refuge, He will be sufficient for you and will be your helper and supporter, and will cause you to prevail. As Allah says:
يَـأَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَأ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ 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)
وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِهِ
and glorify His praises,
means, combine praising Him with glorifying Him. Hence the Messenger of Allah used to say:
سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَبِحَمْدِك
Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise.
So the Ayah means:be sincere in worshipping Him and putting your trust in Him.
This is like the Ayat:
رَّبُّ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ لَا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ فَاتَّخِذْهُ وَكِيلً
The Lord of the east and the west; there is no God but He. So take Him as a Trustee. (73:9)
فَاعْبُدْهُ وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَيْهِ
So worship Him and put your trust in Him. (11:123)
قُلْ هُوَ الرَّحْمَـنُ ءَامَنَّا بِهِ وَعَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْنَا
Say:He is the Most Gracious, in Him we believe, and in Him we put our trust. (67:29)
وَكَفَى بِهِ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِ خَبِيرًا
and sufficient is He as the All-Knower of the sins of His servants.
means, by His perfect knowledge nothing is hidden from Him nor can anything be hidden from Him, not even a speck of dust's weight
الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَْرْضَ
Who created the heavens and the earth...
means, He is the Ever-Living Who never dies, He is the Creator, Sustainer and Sovereign of all things, Who by His might and power created the seven heavens with their vast height and width, and the seven earths with their great depths and density.
وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا
and all that is between them,
فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ
in six Days. Then He rose over the Throne.
means, He is running all affairs and He decrees according to the truth, and He is the best of those who decide.
ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ الرَّحْمَنُ فَاسْأَلْ بِهِ خَبِيرًا
Then He rose over (Istawa) the Throne. The Most Gracious! Ask Him, as He is the All-Knower.
meaning, find out about Him from one who knows most about Him, and follow him and take him as your example. It is known that there is no one who knows more about Allah than His servant and Messenger Muhammad, the absolute leader of the sons of Adam in this world and the Hereafter, who does not speak of his own desire, but conveys revelation revealed to him. What he says is true, and he is the leader whose decision counts; when there is a dispute, people are obliged to refer to him, and whatever is in accordance with his words and deeds is right, and whatever goes against them should be rejected no matter who says or does it.
Allah says:
فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ
(And) if you differ in anything among yourselves... (4:59)
وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِن شَىْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ
And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah. (42:10)
وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَةُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقاً وَعَدْلاً
And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. (6:115)
meaning, He has spoken the truth and is fair and just in His commands and prohibitions.
Allah says here:
فَاسْأَلْ بِهِ خَبِيرًا
Ask Him, as He is Al-Knower.
Condemnation of the Idolators
Then Allah rebukes the idolators who prostrate to idols and rivals instead of Allah
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اسْجُدُوا لِلرَّحْمَنِ قَالُوا وَمَا الرَّحْمَنُ
And when it is said to them:Prostrate yourselves to Ar-Rahman!
They say:And what is Ar-Rahman!
meaning:we do not know Ar-Rahman. They did not like to call Allah by His Name Ar-Rahman (the Most Gracious), as they objected on the day of (the treaty of) Al-Hudaybiyyah, when the Prophet told the scribe:
اكْتُبْ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيم
Write:In the Name of Allah, Ar-Rahman (the Most Gracious), Ar-Rahim (the Most Merciful).
They said, We do not know Ar-Rahman or Ar-Rahim. Write what you used to write:`Bismika Allahumma (in Your Name, O Allah).'
So Allah revealed the words:
قُلِ ادْعُواْ اللَّهَ أَوِ ادْعُواْ الرَّحْمَـنَ أَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُواْ فَلَهُ الاٌّسْمَأءَ الْحُسْنَى
Say:Invoke Allah or invoke Ar-Rahman, by whatever name you invoke Him (it is the same), for to Him belong the Best Names. (17:110)
meaning, He is Allah and He is the Most Gracious.
And in this Ayah, Allah said:
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اسْجُدُوا لِلرَّحْمَنِ قَالُوا وَمَا الرَّحْمَنُ
And when it is said to them:Prostrate yourselves to Ar-Rahman!
They say:And what is the Ar-Rahman!
meaning:we do not know or approve of this Name.
أَنَسْجُدُ لِمَا تَأْمُرُنَا
Shall we fall down in prostration to that which you command us!
means, Just because you tell us to!
وَزَادَهُمْ نُفُورًا
And it increases in them only aversion.
As for the believers, they worship Allah Who is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful, and they attribute divinity to Him Alone and prostrate to Him.
The scholars, agree that it is allowed and approved for the reader and the listener to prostrate when he reaches this mention of prostration in Surah Al-Furqan, and Allah knows best
Mentioning the Might and Power of Allah
Allah glorifies Himself:
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي السَّمَاء بُرُوجًا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَاجًا وَقَمَرًا مُّنِيرًا
Blessed be He Who has placed in the heaven Al-Buruj, and has placed therein a great lamp, and a moon giving light.
Here Allah glorifies Himself and praises the beauty He created in the heavens of Al-Buruj, the giant stars, according to the view of Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Abu Salih, Al-Hasan and Qatadah.
This is like the Ayah,
وَلَقَدْ زَيَّنَّا السَّمَأءَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَصَـبِيحَ
And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps. (67:5)
Allah says:
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي السَّمَاء بُرُوجًا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرَاجًا
Blessed be He Who has placed in the heaven Al-Buruj, and has placed therein a great lamp,
which is the sun which shines like a lamp, as Allah says:
وَجَعَلْنَا سِرَاجاً وَهَّاجاً
And We have made (therein) a shining lamp. (78:13)
وَقَمَرًا مُّنِيرًا
and a moon giving light.
means, shining and illuminated by the light of something else, different from the light of the sun, as Allah says:
هُوَ الَّذِى جَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ ضِيَأءً وَالْقَمَرَ نُوراً
It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light. (10:5)
And Allah tells us that Nuh, peace be upon him, said to his people:
أَلَمْ تَرَوْاْ كَيْفَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ سَبْعَ سَمَـوَتٍ طِبَاقاً
وَجَعَلَ الْقَمَرَ فِيهِنَّ نُوراً وَجَعَلَ الشَّمْسَ سِرَاجاً
See you not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another. And has made the moon a light therein, and made the sun a lamp. (71:15-16)
Then Allah says
وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً
And He it is Who has put the night and the day in succession (Khilfatan),
meaning, each one comes after the other, in a never-ending alternation. When one goes the other comes, and vice versa, as Allah says:
وَسَخَّر لَكُمُ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ دَايِبَينَ
And He has made the sun and the moon, both constantly pursuing their courses. (14:33)
يُغْشِى الَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثًا
He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly. (7:54)
لَا الشَّمْسُ يَنبَغِى لَهَأ أَن تدْرِكَ القَمَرَ
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon. (36:40)
لِّمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا
for such who desires to remember or desires to show his gratitude.
means, He has caused them both to follow one another to show the times when His servants should worship Him. So whoever misses an act of worship during the night can make it up during the day, and whoever misses an act of worship during the day can make it up during the night.
It was recorded in a Sahih Hadith:
إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بِاللَّيْلِ لِيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ النَّهَارِ وَيَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ بِالنَّهَارِ لِيَتُوبَ مُسِيءُ اللَّيْل
Allah spreads forth His Hand at night for the one who has done evil during the day to repent, and He spreads forth His Hand during the day for the one who has done evil during the night to repent.
Mujahid and Qatadah said:
Khilfatan means different, i.e., because one is dark and the other is light.
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