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Ayah
Word by Word
وَلَوۡ
And if
أَنَّمَا
whatever
فِي
(is) in
ٱلۡأَرۡضِ
the earth
مِن
of
شَجَرَةٍ
(the) trees
أَقۡلَٰمٞ
(were) pens
وَٱلۡبَحۡرُ
and the sea
يَمُدُّهُۥ
(to) add to it
مِنۢ
after it
بَعۡدِهِۦ
after it
سَبۡعَةُ
seven
أَبۡحُرٖ
seas
مَّا
not
نَفِدَتۡ
would be exhausted
كَلِمَٰتُ
(the) Words
ٱللَّهِۚ
(of) Allah
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
عَزِيزٌ
(is) All-Mighty
حَكِيمٞ
All-Wise
وَلَوۡ
And if
أَنَّمَا
whatever
فِي
(is) in
ٱلۡأَرۡضِ
the earth
مِن
of
شَجَرَةٍ
(the) trees
أَقۡلَٰمٞ
(were) pens
وَٱلۡبَحۡرُ
and the sea
يَمُدُّهُۥ
(to) add to it
مِنۢ
after it
بَعۡدِهِۦ
after it
سَبۡعَةُ
seven
أَبۡحُرٖ
seas
مَّا
not
نَفِدَتۡ
would be exhausted
كَلِمَٰتُ
(the) Words
ٱللَّهِۚ
(of) Allah
إِنَّ
Indeed
ٱللَّهَ
Allah
عَزِيزٌ
(is) All-Mighty
حَكِيمٞ
All-Wise
Translation
And if all the trees on earth were pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not the words of Allah be exhausted (in the writing): for Allah is Exalted in Power, full of Wisdom.
Tafsir
And if all the trees on earth were pens, and the sea (wa'l-bahru is a supplement to [maa] the subject of anna) replenished with seven more seas, were ink, the Words of God would not be spent, [those words] expressing all the things He knows, written in those pens with that [amount of] ink or with even more [ink] than that [would not be spent], for His knowledge, exalted be He, is infinite. Truly God is Mighty, nothing being beyond Him, Wise, from Whose knowledge and wisdom nothing escapes.
Reminder of Blessings Here
Allah says:
أَلَمۡ تَرَوۡا أَنَّ اللَّهَ سَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الاَۡرۡضِ وَأَسۡبَغَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ نِعَمَهُ ظَاهِرَةً وَبَاطِنَةً
See you not that Allah has subjected for you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth, and has completed and perfected His graces upon you, apparent and hidden!
Allah reminds His creation of the blessings He bestows upon them in this world and the Hereafter. In the heavens He has subjugated for them the stars which give them light during the night and during the day, and He has created clouds, rain, snow and hail, and made the heavens a canopy which covers and protects them. On earth He has created for them stability and rivers, trees, crops and fruits; He has completed and perfected His graces upon them, apparent and hidden, by sending Messengers, revealing Books and removing doubts and excuses. Yet despite all this, not all the people believe, and indeed there are those who dispute concerning Allah, that is, His Tawhid, and His sending the Messengers. Their dispute is without knowledge and they have no sound evidence or valid inherited Book.
Allah says:
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يُجَادِلُ فِي اللَّهِ بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍ وَلَا هُدًى وَلَا كِتَابٍ مُّنِيرٍ
Yet of mankind is he who disputes about Allah without knowledge or guidance or a Book giving light!
meaning clear and unambiguous.
Allah says
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ
And when it is said to them,
means, to these people who dispute about the Oneness of Allah.
اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ
Follow that which Allah has sent down,
means, the pure Divine Laws that He has sent down to His Messengers,
قَالُوا بَلۡ نَتَّبِعُ مَا وَجَدۡنَا عَلَيۡهِ ابَاءنَا
they say:Nay, we shall follow that which we found our fathers (following).
means, they have no other proof except the fact that they are following their forefathers.
Allah says:
أَوَلَوۡ كَانَ ءَابَاوُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡقِلُونَ شَيۡيًا وَلَا يَهۡتَدُونَ
Even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided. (2:170)
meaning, `what do you think, you who take the forefathers' deeds as proof, that they were misguided and you are following in their footsteps!'
Allah says:
أَوَلَوۡ كَانَ الشَّيۡطَانُ يَدۡعُوهُمۡ إِلَى عَذَابِ السَّعِيرِ
Even if Shaytan invites them to the torment of the Fire
Allah says:
وَمَن يُسۡلِمۡ وَجۡهَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ
And whosoever submits his face (himself) to Allah,
Allah tells us that whoever submits his face to Allah, i.e., does deeds sincerely for His sake, submits to His commandments and follows His Laws,
وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٌ
while he is a Muhsin,
i.e., doing what his Lord has commanded and abstaining from what He has forbidden,
فَقَدِ اسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِالۡعُرۡوَةِ الۡوُثۡقَى
then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold.
means, he has received a firm promise from Allah that He will not punish him.
وَإِلَى اللَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الاۡإُمُورِ
And to Allah return all matters for decision
وَمَن كَفَرَ فَلَ يَحۡزُنكَ كُفۡرُهُ
And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve you.
means, `do not grieve over them, O Muhammad, because they disbelieve in Allah and in the Message you have brought, for their return will be to Allah and He will tell them what they used to do,' i.e., He will punish them for it.
إِلَيۡنَا مَرۡجِعُهُمۡ فَنُنَبِّيُهُم بِمَا عَمِلُوا
To Us is their return, and We shall inform them what they have done.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ
Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of what is in the breasts.
and nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him.
Then Allah says
نُمَتِّعُهُمۡ قَلِيلً
We let them enjoy for a little while,
means, in this world,
ثُمَّ نَضۡطَرُّهُمۡ
then in the end We shall oblige them,
means, `We shall cause them,'
إِلَى عَذَابٍ غَلِيظٍ
to (enter) a great torment.
means, a torment that is terrifying and difficult to bear.
This is like the Ayah,
قُلۡ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَفۡتَرُونَ عَلَى اللَّهِ الۡكَذِبَ لَا يُفۡلِحُونَ
مَتَـعٌ فِى الدُّنۡيَا ثُمَّ إِلَيۡنَا مَرۡجِعُهُمۡ ثُمَّ نُذِيقُهُمُ الۡعَذَابَ الشَّدِيدَ بِمَا كَانُواۡ يَكۡفُرُونَ
Verily, those who invent a lie against Allah, will never be successful.
Enjoyment in this world! and then unto Us will be their return, then We shall make them taste the severest torment because they used to disbelieve. (10:69-70
The Idolators admitted that Allah is the Creator
Allah tells us that these idolators who associated others with Him admitted that Allah Alone, with no partner or associate, is the Creator of heaven and earth yet they still worshipped others besides Him who they recognized were created by Him and subjugated to Him.
Allah says:
وَلَيِن سَأَلۡتَهُم مَّنۡ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ قُلِ الۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ
And if you ask them:Who has created the heavens and the earth, they will certainly say:Allah.
Say:All the praises and thanks be to Allah!
By their admitting that, proof is established against them,
بَلۡ أَكۡثَرُهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ
But most of them know not.
Then Allah says
لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ
To Allah belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth.
meaning, He created it and has dominion over it.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الۡغَنِيُّ الۡحَمِيدُ
Verily, Allah, He is Al-Ghani, Worthy of all praise.
means, He has no need of anyone or anything besides Himself, and everything else is in need of Him.
He is Worthy of praise for all that He has created, so praise be to Him in the heavens and on earth for all that He has created and decreed, and He is worthy of praise in all affairs
The Words of Allah cannot be counted or exhausted
Allah tells us of His might, pride, majesty, beautiful Names and sublime attributes, and His perfect Words which no one can encompass. No human being knows their essence or nature, or how many they are. As the Leader of Mankind and Seal of the Messengers said:
لَاا أُحۡصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيۡكَ أَنۡتَ كَمَا أَثۡنَيۡتَ عَلَى نَفۡسِك
I cannot praise You enough; You are as You have praised yourself.
Allah says:
وَلَوۡ أَنَّمَا فِي الاَۡرۡضِ مِن شَجَرَةٍ أَقۡلَمٌ وَالۡبَحۡرُ يَمُدُّهُ مِن بَعۡدِهِ سَبۡعَةُ أَبۡحُرٍ مَّا نَفِدَتۡ كَلِمَاتُ اللَّهِ
And if all the trees on the earth were pens and the sea, with seven seas behind it to add to its, yet the Words of Allah would not be exhausted.
meaning, even if all the trees on earth were made into pens and the sea was made into ink, and topped up with seven more like it, and they were used to write the Words of Allah showing His might, attributes and majesty, the pens would break and the ink would run dry, even if more were brought.
The number seven is used to indicate a large amount, it is not to be taken literally or to be understood as referring to the seven oceans of the world, as was suggested by those who took this idea from Israelite stories, which we neither believe nor reject.
As Allah says elsewhere:
قُل لَّوۡ كَانَ الۡبَحۡرُ مِدَاداً لِّكَلِمَـتِ رَبِّى لَنَفِدَ الۡبَحۡرُ قَبۡلَ أَن تَنفَدَ كَلِمَـتُ رَبِّى وَلَوۡ جِيۡنَا بِمِثۡلِهِ مَدَداً
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. (18:109)
The words
بِمِثۡلِهِ
(like it) do not mean merely another one, but another like it and another and another and another, etc., because there is no limit to the signs and Words of Allah.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.
means, He is All-Mighty and has subjugated all things to His will, so nothing can prevent what He wills, and none can oppose or put back His decision. He is All-Wise in His creation, commands, Words, actions, Laws and all His affairs
مَّا خَلۡقُكُمۡ وَلَا بَعۡثُكُمۡ إِلاَّا كَنَفۡسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ
The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all are only as a single person.
means, His creation and resurrection of all of mankind on the Day of Resurrection is, in relation to His power, like the creation and resurrection of a single soul; all of this is easy for Him.
إِنَّمَأ أَمۡرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيۡياً أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ
Verily, His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, Be! -- and it is! (36:82)
وَمَأ أَمۡرُنَأ إِلاَّ وَحِدَةٌ كَلَمۡحٍ بِالۡبَصَرِ
And Our commandment is but one as the twinkling of an eye. (54:50)
This means He only has to command a thing once, and it will happen. There is no need for Him to repeat it or confirm it.
فَإِنَّمَا هِىَ زَجۡرَةٌ وَحِدَةٌ
فَإِذَا هُم بِالسَّاهِرَةِ
But it will be only a single Zajrah. When behold, they find themselves on the surface of the earth alive after their death. (79:13-14)
إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ
Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All-Seer.
means, just as He hears all that they say, so He also sees all that they do, as if He is hearing and seeing a single soul. His power over all of them is like His power over a single soul, Allah says:
مَّا خَلۡقُكُمۡ وَلَا بَعۡثُكُمۡ إِلاَّا كَنَفۡسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ
(The creation of you all and the resurrection of you all are only as a single person).
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