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Ayah
Word by Word
وَضَرَبَ
And he sets forth
لَنَا
for Us
مَثَلٗا
an example
وَنَسِيَ
and forgets
خَلۡقَهُۥۖ
his (own) creation
قَالَ
He says
مَن
Who
يُحۡيِ
will give life
ٱلۡعِظَٰمَ
(to) the bones
وَهِيَ
while they
رَمِيمٞ
(are) decomposed
وَضَرَبَ
And he sets forth
لَنَا
for Us
مَثَلٗا
an example
وَنَسِيَ
and forgets
خَلۡقَهُۥۖ
his (own) creation
قَالَ
He says
مَن
Who
يُحۡيِ
will give life
ٱلۡعِظَٰمَ
(to) the bones
وَهِيَ
while they
رَمِيمٞ
(are) decomposed
Translation
And he makes comparisons for Us, and forgets his own (origin and) Creation: He says, "Who can give life to (dry) bones and decomposed ones (at that)?"
Tafsir
And he strikes for Us a similitude, in this respect, and forgets [the manner of] his creation, from a spermdrop, a thing more curious than his similitude; he says, 'Who will revive the bones when they are rot?', in other words, [when they have become] withered (He does not say rameematun, 'decayed', because it [rameemun, 'rot'] is a noun and not an adjective). It is reported that he [al-'aasee] took some withered bones and crushed them into pieces and said to the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him, 'Do you think that God can revive these [bones] after they have decayed and become rot?' And so the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him said, 'Yes indeed! And He will also throw you into the Hellfire'.
There is a Sign and a Blessing in Cattle
Allah mentions the blessing that He has bestowed upon His creation;
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡا أَنَّا خَلَقۡنَا لَهُمۡ مِمَّا عَمِلَتۡ أَيۡدِينَا أَنۡعَامًا
Do they not see that We have created for them of what Our Hands have fashioned, the cattle,
Allah mentions the blessing that He has bestowed upon His creation by subjugating these cattle for their use.
فَهُمۡ لَهَا مَالِكُونَ
so that they are their owners.
Qatadah said,
They are their masters.
وَذَلَّلۡنَاهَا لَهُمۡ
And We have subdued them unto them,
Meaning, He has made them subdue them. So they are submissive towards them and do not resist them; even if a young child comes to a camel he can make it kneel down, and if he wants to, he can make it stand up and can drive it, and it will meekly be led by him. Even if the train consists of a hundred or more camels, they could all be led by a young child.
فَمِنۡهَا رَكُوبُهُمۡ وَمِنۡهَا يَأۡكُلُونَ
some of them they have for riding and some they eat.
means, some of them they ride on their journeys, and use them to carry their burdens to all regions.
وَمِنۡهَا يَأۡكُلُونَ
(and some they eat).
means, if they want to, and they slaughter and sacrifice them
وَلَهُمۡ فِيهَا مَنَافِعُ
And they have (other) benefits from them,
means, from their wool, fur, and hair, furnishings and articles of convenience, comfort for a time.
وَمَشَارِبُ
and (they get to) drink.
means, their milk, and their urine for those who need it as medicine, and so on.
أَفَلَ يَشۡكُرُونَ
Will they not then be grateful!
means, `will they not worship the Creator and Subduer of that, without showing gratitude to others!
The gods of the Idolators are not able to help Them
Allah tells:
وَاتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ الِهَةً لَعَلَّهُمۡ يُنصَرُونَ
And they have taken besides Allah, gods, hoping that they might be helped.
Allah denounces the idolators for taking the idols as gods alongside Allah, hoping that those gods will help them and provide for them and bring them closer to Allah.
Allah says
لَاا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ نَصۡرَهُمۡ
They cannot help them,
meaning, those gods cannot help their worshippers;
they are too weak, too insignificant and too powerless. Rather they cannot even help themselves or take revenge on those who want to harm them, because they are inanimate and can neither hear nor comprehend.
Allah's saying:
وَهُمۡ لَهُمۡ جُندٌ مُّحۡضَرُونَ
but they will be brought forward as a troop.
means, at the time of Reckoning according to the view of Mujahid.
This means that those idols will be gathered together and will be present when their worshippers are brought to account, as this will add to their grief and will be more effective in establishing proof against them.
Qatadah said:
لَاا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ نَصۡرَهُمۡ
(They cannot help them), means the gods.
وَهُمۡ لَهُمۡ جُندٌ مُّحۡضَرُونَ
(but they will be brought forward as a troop).
The idolators used to get angry for the sake of their gods in this world, but they could not do them any benefit or protect them from any harm, for they were merely idols.
This was also the view of Al-Hasan Al-Basri.
This is a good opinion, and was the view favored by Ibn Jarir, may Allah have mercy on him.
Consolation for the Mercy to the Worlds
Allah says
فَلَ يَحۡزُنكَ قَوۡلُهُمۡ
So, let not their speech then grieve you.
means, `their denying you and their disbelief in Allah.'
إِنَّا نَعۡلَمُ مَا يُسِرُّونَ وَمَا يُعۡلِنُونَ
Verily, We know what they conceal and what they reveal.
means, `We know everything about them, and We will punish them for their false claims and deal with them accordingly on the Day when none of their deeds, great or small, major or minor, will be overlooked, and every deed they did throughout their worldly lives will be laid open for examination.
The Denial of Life after Death, and the Refutation of this Idea
Mujahid, Ikrimah, Urwah bin Az-Zubayr, As-Suddi and Qatadah said,
Ubayy bin Khalaf, may Allah curse him, came to the Messenger of Allah with a dry bone in his hand, which he was crumbling and scattering in the air, saying, `O Muhammad! Are you claiming that Allah will resurrect this.'
He said:
نَعَمۡ يُمِيتُكَ اللهُ تَعَالَى ثُمَّ يَبۡعَثُكَ ثُمَّ يَحۡشُرُكَ إِلَى النَّار
Yes, Allah, may He be exalted, will cause you to die, then He will resurrect you and will gather you into the Fire.
Then these Ayat at the end of Surah Ya Sin were revealed:
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَ الاِۡنسَانُ أَنَّا خَلَقۡنَاهُ مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ
Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah. -- until the end of the Surah.
Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
Al-`As bin Wa'il took a bone from the bed of a valley and crumbled it in his hand, then he said to the Messenger of Allah:`Will Allah bring this back to life after it has disintegrated.'
The Messenger of Allah said:
نَعَمۡ يُمِيتُكَ اللهُ ثُمَّ يُحۡيِيكَ ثُمَّ يُدۡخِلُكَ جَهَنَّم
Yes, Allah will cause you to die, then He will bring you back to life, then He will make you enter Hell.
Then the Ayat at the end of Surah Ya Sin were revealed.
This was recorded by Ibn Jarir from Sa`id bin Jubayr.
Whether these Ayat were revealed about Ubayy bin Khalaf or Al-`As bin Wa'il, or both of them, they apply to all those who deny the resurrection after death. The definite article Al in
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَ الاِۡنسَانُ
(Does not man (Al-Insan) see...) is generic, applying to all those who deny the Resurrection.
أَنَّا خَلَقۡنَاهُ مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ خَصِيمٌ مُّبِينٌ
that We have created him from Nutfah. Yet behold he (stands forth) as an open opponent.
means, the one who is denying the resurrection, cannot see that the One Who initiated creation can recreate it. For Allah initiated the creation of man from semen of despised fluid, creating him from something insignificant, weak and despised, as Allah says:
أَلَمۡ نَخۡلُقكُّم مِّن مَّأءٍ مَّهِينٍ
فَجَعَلۡنَـهُ فِى قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ
إِلَى قَدَرٍ مَّعۡلُومٍ
Did We not create you from a despised water? Then We placed it in a place of safety, for a known period. (77:20-22)
إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَا الاِنسَـنَ مِن نُّطۡفَةٍ أَمۡشَاجٍ
Verily, We have created man from Nutfah. (76:2)
which means, from a mixture of different fluids. The One Who created man from this weak Nutfah is not unable to recreate him after his death.
Imam Ahmad recorded in his Musnad that Bishr bin Jahhash said,
One day the Messenger of Allah spat in his hand and put his finger on it, then the Messenger of Allah said:
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى
ابۡنَ ادَمَ أَنَّى تُعۡجِزُنِي وَقَدۡ خَلَقۡتُكَ مِنۡ مِثۡلِ هَذِهِ حَتۡى إِذَا سَوَّيۡتُكَ وَعَدَلۡتُكَ مَشَيۡتَ بَيۡنَ بُرۡدَيۡكَ وَلِلَۡرۡضِ مِنۡكَ وَيِيدٌ فَجَمَعۡتَ وَمَنَعۡتَ حَتۡى إِذَا بَلَغَتِ التَّرَاقِيَ قُلۡتَ أَتَصَدَّقُ وَأَنَّى أَوَانُ الصَّدَقَةِ
Allah, may He be exalted, says:
Son of Adam, how can you outrun Me when I have created you from something like this, and when I have fashioned you and formed you, you walk in your cloak on the earth and it groans beneath your tread. You accumulate and do not spend until the death rattle reaches your throat, then you say, `I want to give in charity,' but it is too late for charity.
It was also recorded by Ibn Majah.
Allah says:
وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلً وَنَسِيَ خَلۡقَهُ قَالَ مَنۡ يُحۡيِي الۡعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ
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.
meaning, he thinks it unlikely that Allah, the Almighty Who created the heavens and the earth, will recreate these bodies and dry bones. Man forgets about himself, that Allah created him from nothing and brought him into existence, and he knows by looking at himself that there is something greater than that which he denies and thinks impossible.
Allah says:
قُلۡ يُحۡيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلۡقٍ عَلِيمٌ
Say:
He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!
meaning, He knows about the bones in all areas and regions of the earth, where they have gone when they disintegrated and dispersed.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Rib`i said:
Uqbah bin `Amr said to Hudhayfah, may Allah be pleased with him, `Will you not tell us what you heard from the Messenger of Allah?'
He said, `I heard him say:
إِنَّ رَجُلً حَضَرَهُ الۡمَوۡتُ فَلَمَّا أَيِسَ مِنَ الۡحَيَاةِ أَوۡصَى أَهۡلَهُ إِذَا أَنَا مُتُّ فَاجۡمَعُوا لِي حَطَبًا كَثِيرًا جَزۡلاً ثُمَّ أَوۡقِدُوا فِيهِ نَارًا حَتۡى إِذَا أَكَلَتۡ لَحۡمِي وَخَلَصَتۡ إِلَى عَظۡمِي فَامۡتُحِشۡتُ فَخُذُوهَا فَدُقُّوهَا فَذَرُّوهَا فِي الۡيَمِّ فَفَعَلُوا فَجَمَعَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى إِلَيۡهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ لِمَ فَعَلۡتَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ مِنۡ خَشۡيَتِكَ فَغَفَرَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَه
Death approached a man and when there was no longer any hope for him, he said to his family,
When I die, gather a lot of firewood, then set it ablaze until my flesh is consumed and it reaches my bones and they become brittle. Then take them and grind them, and scatter them in the sea.
So they did that, but Allah gathered him together and said to him:
Why did you do that?
He said, Because I feared You.
So Allah forgave him.'
Uqbah bin `Amr said, `I heard him say that, and the man was a gravedigger.'
Many versions of this Hadith were recorded in the Two Sahihs.
One of these versions mentions that he commanded his sons to burn him and then grind his remains into small pieces, and then scatter half of them on land and half of them on the sea on a windy day. So they did that, then Allah commanded the sea to gather together whatever remains were in it, and He commanded the land to do likewise, then he said to him, Be!, and he was a man, standing.
Allah said to him. What made you do what you did?
He said, The fear of You, and You know best.
Straight away He forgave him.
Allah says:
الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الشَّجَرِ الاَۡخۡضَرِ نَارًا فَإِذَا أَنتُم مِّنۡهُ تُوقِدُونَ
He Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold you kindle therewith.
means, the One Who initiated the creation of this tree from water, when it has become green and beautiful, bearing fruit, then He changes it until it becomes dry wood with which fires are lit. For He does whatever He wills and He is able to do whatever He wills, and none can stop Him.
Qatadah said concerning the Ayah:
الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الشَّجَرِ الاَۡخۡضَرِ نَارًا فَإِذَا أَنتُم مِّنۡهُ تُوقِدُونَ
(He Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold you kindle therewith).
this means, the One Who brought forth this fire from this tree is able to resurrect him.
It was said that this refers to the Markh tree and the `Afar tree, which grow in the Hijaz.
If one wants to light a fire but has no kindling with him, then he takes two green branches from these trees and rubs one against the other, and fire is produced from them. So they are just like kindling.
This was reported from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him
Allah points out His great Might and Power in that He created the Seven Heavens with all their stars and planets, and the Seven Earths with everything in them.
He tells us to find the proof that He will recreate our bodies in His creation of these mighty things.
This is like the Ayah:
لَخَلۡقُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرۡضِ أَكۡـبَرُ مِنۡ خَلۡقِ النَّاسِ
The creation of the heavens and the earth is indeed greater than the creation of mankind. (40:57)
And Allah says here:
أَوَلَيۡسَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى أَنۡ يَخۡلُقَ مِثۡلَهُم
Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth, able to create the like of them!
meaning, the like of mankind. So, He will recreate them as He created them in the first place.
Ibn Jarir said,
This Ayah is like the Ayah:
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاۡ أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرۡضِ وَلَمۡ يَعۡىَ بِخَلۡقِهِنَّ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى أَن يُحۡىِ الۡمَوۡتَى بَلَى إِنَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Do they not see that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, and was not wearied by their creation, is able to give life to the dead! Yes, He surely is able to do all things. (46:33)
And Allah says here:
بَلَى وَهُوَ الۡخَلَّقُ الۡعَلِيمُ
إِنَّمَا أَمۡرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيۡيًا أَنۡ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنۡ فَيَكُونُ
Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator. Verily, His command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, Be!-- and it is!
meaning, He only needs to command a thing once; it does not need to be repeated or confirmed. When Allah wants a thing to happen, He only says to it:Be! once, and it is.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Dharr, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah said:
إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ
يَا عِبَادِي كُلُّكُمۡ مُذۡنِبٌ إِلاَّ مَنۡ عَافَيۡتُ فَاسۡتَغۡفِرُونِي أَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ وَكُلُّكُمۡ فَقِيرٌ إِلاَّ مَنۡ أَغۡنَيۡتُ إِنِّي جَوَادٌ مَاجِدٌ وَاجِدٌ أَفۡعَلُ مَا أَشَاءُ عَطَايِي كَلَامٌ وَعَذَابِي كَلَامٌ إِذَا أَرَدۡتُ شَيۡيًا فَإِنَّمَا أَقُولُ لَهُ كُنۡ فَيَكُون
Allah, may He be exalted, says:
O My servants, all of you are sinners apart from those whom I protect from sin. Seek My forgiveness and I will forgive you. All of you are in need except for those whom I make independent. I am Most Generous, Majestic, and I do whatever I will. My giving is a word and My punishment is a word. When I want a thing to happen I merely say to it `Be!' and it is.
فَسُبۡحَانَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ
So glorified be He and exalted (above all that they associate with Him), and in Whose Hand is the dominion of all things, and to Him you shall be returned.
means, glorified and exalted and sanctified above any evil be the Ever Living, the Self-Sufficient, in Whose hand is the control of the heavens and the earth, to Whom all matters return. His is the power to create and command, and to Him all mankind will return on the Day of Resurrection. Then He will reward or punish each one according to his deeds, and He is the Just, the Generous Bestower, the Graciously Disposed.
The meaning of this Ayah,
فَسُبۡحَانَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ
(So glorified be He and exalted (above all that they associate with Him), and in Whose Hand is the sovereignty (Malakut) of all things) is like the Ayat:
قُلۡ مَن بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ
Say:In Whose Hand is the sovereignty (Malakut) of everything. (23:88)
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِى بِيَدِهِ الۡمُلۡكُ
Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion (Al-Mulk). (67:1)
Al-Mulk and Al-Malakut mean the same thing, although some people claim that Al-Mulk has to do with the physical realm and Al-Malakut has to do with the spiritual realm. But the former view is the one which is correct, and this is the opinion of the majority of the scholars of Tafsir and others.
Imam Ahmad recorded that Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
I stood in prayer with the Messenger of Allah one night and he recited the seven long Surahs in seven Rak`ahs. When he raised his head from bowing, he said,
سَمِعَ اللهُ لِمَنۡ حَمِدَه
Allah hears the one who praises Him.
Then he said;
الۡحَمۡدُ للهِِذي الۡمَلَكُوتِ وَالۡجَبَرُوتِ وَالۡكِبۡرِيَاءِ وَالۡعَظَمَة
Praise be to Allah, the Owner of Malakut, might, pride and greatness.
His bowing was as long as his standing position, and his prostration was as long as his bowing. Then he finished and my legs were nearly broken.
Abu Dawud recorded that `Awf bin Malik Al-Ashja`i, may Allah be pleased with him, said,
I stood in prayer with the Messenger of Allah one night and he recited Al-Baqarah.
- He did not reach any Ayah that mentioned mercy but he paused and asked for it, and
- he did not reach any Ayah that mentioned punishment but he paused and sought refuge from it.
Then he bowed for as long as he had stood, and while bowing he said,
سُبۡحَانَ ذِي الۡجَبَرُوتِ وَالۡمَلَكُوتِ وَالۡكِبۡرِيَاءِ وَالۡعَظَمَة
Glory be to Allah, the Owner of might, Malakut, pride and greatness.
Then he prostrated for as long as he had bowed, and said something similar while prostrating.
Then he stood and recited Al `Imran, then he recited one Surah after another.
This was recorded by At-Tirmidhi in Ash-Shama'il and An-Nasa'i.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Ya Sin. All praise and thanks are due to Allah.
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