Tafsir Surah Fussilat ayah 14 | Learn Quran Tafsir

Ayah

Word by Word

إِذۡ جَآءَتۡهُمُ ٱلرُّسُلُ مِن بَيۡنِ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ أَلَّا تَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ ۖ قَالُواْ لَوۡ شَآءَ رَبُّنَا لَأَنزَلَ مَلَٰٓئِكَةً فَإِنَّا بِمَآ أُرۡسِلۡتُم بِهِۦ كَٰفِرُونَ

إِذۡ

When

جَآءَتۡهُمُ

came to them

ٱلرُّسُلُ

the Messengers

مِنۢ

from before them

بَيۡنِ

from before them

أَيۡدِيهِمۡ

from before them

وَمِنۡ

and from

خَلۡفِهِمۡ

behind them

أَلَّا

(saying) Do not

تَعۡبُدُوٓاْ

worship

إِلَّا

but

ٱللَّهَۖ

Allah

قَالُواْ

They said

لَوۡ

شَآءَ

(had) willed

رَبُّنَا

our Lord

لَأَنزَلَ

surely, He (would have) sent down

مَلَٰٓئِكَةٗ

Angels

فَإِنَّا

So indeed, we

بِمَآ

in what

أُرۡسِلۡتُم

you have been sent

بِهِۦ

with

كَٰفِرُونَ

(are) disbelievers

إِذۡ

When

جَآءَتۡهُمُ

came to them

ٱلرُّسُلُ

the Messengers

مِنۢ

from before them

بَيۡنِ

from before them

أَيۡدِيهِمۡ

from before them

وَمِنۡ

and from

خَلۡفِهِمۡ

behind them

أَلَّا

(saying) Do not

تَعۡبُدُوٓاْ

worship

إِلَّا

but

ٱللَّهَۖ

Allah

قَالُواْ

They said

لَوۡ

شَآءَ

(had) willed

رَبُّنَا

our Lord

لَأَنزَلَ

surely, He (would have) sent down

مَلَٰٓئِكَةٗ

Angels

فَإِنَّا

So indeed, we

بِمَآ

in what

أُرۡسِلۡتُم

you have been sent

بِهِۦ

with

كَٰفِرُونَ

(are) disbelievers

Translation

Behold, the messengers came to them, from before them and behind them, (preaching): "Serve none but Allah." They said, "If our Lord had so pleased, He would certainly have sent down angels (to preach). Now we reject your mission (altogether)."

Tafsir

When the messengers came to them from in front of them and from behind them, that is, coming to them [to warn them] and leaving them behind [as they departed], but they disbelieved, as will be stated shortly -the destruction [of them meant] would only take place in his time - saying, 'Worship none but God', they said, 'Had our Lord willed, He would have surely sent down, to us, angels; therefore we indeed disbelieve in what you, according to your claim, have been sent with!'

Some Details of the Creation of this Universe Here

Allah denounces the idolators who worship other gods apart from Him although He is the Creator, Subduer and Controller of all things.

He says:

قُلۡ أَيِنَّكُمۡ لَتَكۡفُرُونَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَ الاَۡرۡضَ فِي يَوۡمَيۡنِ وَتَجۡعَلُونَ لَهُ أَندَادًا

Say:

Do you verily disbelieve in Him Who created the earth in two Days? And you set up rivals with Him.

meaning, `false gods whom you worship alongside Him.'

ذَلِكَ رَبُّ الۡعَالَمِينَ

That is the Lord of the that exists.

the Creator of all things is the Lord of all the creatures.

Here the Ayah;

خَلَقَ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرۡضَ فِى سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ

Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, (7:54)

is explained in more detail; the creation of the earth and the creation of the heaven are discussed separately.

Allah says that He created the earth first, because it is the foundation, and the foundation should be built first, then the roof.

Allah says elsewhere:

هُوَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِى الاٌّرۡضِ جَمِيعاً ثُمَّ اسۡتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَأءِ فَسَوَّاهُنَّ سَبۡعَ سَمَـوَاتٍ

He it is Who created for you all that is on the earth. Then He rose over (Istawa ila) the heaven and made them seven heavens. (2:29)

With regard to the Ayat:

أَءَنتُمۡ أَشَدُّ خَلۡقاً أَمِ السَّمَأءُ بَنَـهَا

رَفَعَ سَمۡكَهَا فَسَوَّاهَا

وَأَغۡطَشَ لَيۡلَهَا وَأَخۡرَجَ ضُحَـهَا

وَالاٌّرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَـهَا

أَخۡرَجَ مِنۡهَا مَأءَهَا وَمَرۡعَـهَا

وَالۡجِبَالَ أَرۡسَـهَا

مَتَـعاً لَّكُمۡ وَلاًّنۡعَـمِكُمۡ

Are you more difficult to create or is the heaven that He constructed? He raised its height, and has perfected it. Its night He covers with darkness and its forenoon He brings out (with light). And after that He spread the earth, And brought forth therefrom its water and its pasture. And the mountains He has fixed firmly, (to be) a provision and benefit for you and your cattle. (79:27-33)

This Ayah states that the spreading out of the earth came after the creation of the heavens, but the earth itself was created before the heavens according to some texts.

This was the response of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, as recorded by Al-Bukhari in his Tafsir of this Ayah in his Sahih.

He recorded that Sa`id bin Jubayr said:

A man said to Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, saying:`I find some things in the Qur'an which confuse me:

فَلَ أَنسَـبَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَيِذٍ وَلَا يَتَسَأءَلُونَ

There will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another, (23:101)

وَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَى بَعۡضٍ يَتَسَأءَلُونَ

And they will turn to one another and question one another, (37:27)

وَلَا يَكۡتُمُونَ اللَّهَ حَدِيثاً

but they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allah, (4:42)

وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشۡرِكِينَ

By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah, (6:23)

But in this Ayah they did hide something.

And Allah says:

أَءَنتُمۡ أَشَدُّ خَلۡقاً أَمِ السَّمَأءُ بَنَـهَا

(Are you more difficult to create or is the heaven that He constructed) until;

وَالاٌّرۡضَ بَعۡدَ ذَلِكَ دَحَـهَا

(And after that He spread the earth). (79:27-30)

So He mentioned the creation of the heavens before the earth, then He said:

قُلۡ أَيِنَّكُمۡ لَتَكۡفُرُونَ بِالَّذِي خَلَقَ الاَۡرۡضَ فِي يَوۡمَيۡنِ

Say:Do you verily disbelieve in Him Who created the earth in two Days... until;

طَأيِعِينَ

(We come willingly).

Here He mentioned the creation of the earth before the creation of the heavens.

And He says:

وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

verily, Allah (Kana) is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (4:23)

عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً

Most Powerful, All-Wise, (4:56)

سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً

All-Hearer, All-Seer. (4:58).

It is as if He was and is no longer.'

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, replied:

فَلَ أَنسَـبَ بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَيِذٍ وَلَا يَتَسَأءَلُونَ

There will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another, (23:101),

this will happen when the Trumpet is blown for the first time.

فَصَعِقَ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَمَن فِى الاٌّرۡضِ إِلاَّ مَن شَأءَ اللَّهُ

And all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth will swoon away, except him whom Allah wills. (39:68),

and at that time there will be no kinship among them, nor will they ask of one another. Then when the Sur will be blown again,

وَأَقۡبَلَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ عَلَى بَعۡضٍ يَتَسَأءَلُونَ

And they will turn to one another and question one another. (37:27)

With regard to the Ayat,

وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشۡرِكِينَ

By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who joined others in worship with Allah, (6:23) and

وَلَا يَكۡتُمُونَ اللَّهَ حَدِيثاً

but they will never be able to hide a single fact from Allah. (4:42),

Allah will forgive the sincere believers their sins, then the idolators will say,

`Let us say that we never joined others in worship with Allah.'

Then a seal will be placed over their mouths, and their hands will speak. Then it will be known that not a single fact can be hidden from Allah, and at that point,

يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواۡ

those who disbelieved will wish, (4:42)

Allah created the earth in two days, then He created the heavens, then He (Istawa ila) the heaven and gave it its shape in two more days. Then He spread the earth, which means that He brought forth therefrom its water and its pasture. And He created the mountains, sands, inanimate things, rocks and hills and everything in between, in two more days.

This is what Allah says:

دَحَـهَا

(He) spread (the earth), (79:30)

And Allah's saying:

خَلَقَ الاَۡرۡضَ فِي يَوۡمَيۡنِ

((He) created the earth in two Days), So He created the earth and everything in it in four days, and He created the heavens in two days.

وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُوراً رَّحِيماً

verily, Allah (Kana) is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful, (4:23)

This is how He described Himself, and this is how He still is. Whatever Allah wills comes to pass, so do not be confused about the Qur'an, for all of it comes from Allah.'

This was recorded by Al-Bukhari.

خَلَقَ الاَۡرۡضَ فِي يَوۡمَيۡنِ

(He) created the earth in two Days,

means, on Sunday and Monday.

Allah says,

وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ مِن فَوۡقِهَا وَبَارَكَ فِيهَا

He placed therein firm mountains from above it, and He blessed it,

means, He blessed it and gave it the potential to be planted with seeds and bring forth produce.

وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا أَقۡوَاتَهَا

And measured therein its sustenance,

means, what its people need of provision and places in which to plant things and grow crops.

This was on Tuesday and Wednesday, which together with the two previous days add up to four days.

فِي أَرۡبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ سَوَاء لِّلسَّايِلِينَ

in four Days equal for all those who ask.

meaning, for those who want to ask about that, so that they might know.

Ikrimah and Mujahid said concerning the Ayah:

وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا أَقۡوَاتَهَا

(and measured therein its sustenance):

He placed in every land that which is not suited for any other land.

Ibn Abbas, Qatadah and As-Suddi said, concerning the Ayah,

سَوَاء لِّلسَّايِلِينَ

(equal for all those who ask):

this means, For whoever wants to ask about that.

Ibn Zayd said:

وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَا أَقۡوَاتَهَا فِي أَرۡبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ سَوَاء لِّلسَّايِلِينَ

(and measured therein its sustenance in four Days equal for all those who ask).

According to whatever a person who is need of provision wants, Allah measures out for him what he needs.

This is like what they said concerning the Ayah:

وَاتَاكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلۡتُمُوهُ

And He gave you of all that you asked for, (14:34)

And Allah knows best

ثُمَّ اسۡتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَاء وَهِيَ دُخَانٌ

Then He rose over (Istawa ila) towards the heaven when it was smoke,

i.e., steam which arose from it when the earth was created.

فَقَالَ لَهَا وَلِلَۡرۡضِ اِيۡتِيَا طَوۡعًا أَوۡ كَرۡهًا

and said to it and to the earth:Come both of you willingly or unwillingly.

meaning, `respond to My command and be subjected to this action, willingly or unwillingly.'

قَالَتَا أَتَيۡنَا طَايِعِينَ

They both said:We come willingly.

meaning, `we will respond to You willingly and everything that You want to create in us -- angels, Jinn and men -- will all be obedient to You.

فَقَضَاهُنَّ سَبۡعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ فِي يَوۡمَيۡنِ

Then He completed and finished their creation (as) seven heavens in two Days.

means, He finished forming them as seven heavens in two more days, which were Thursday and Friday.

وَأَوۡحَى فِي كُلِّ سَمَاء أَمۡرَهَا

and He decreed in each heaven its affair.

means, He placed in each heaven whatever it needs of angels and things which are known only unto Him.

وَزَيَّنَّا السَّمَاء الدُّنۡيَا بِمَصَابِيحَ

And We adorned the nearest (lowest) heaven with lamps,

means, the stars and planets which shine on the people of the earth.

وَحِفۡظًا

as well as to guard.

means, as protection against the Shayatin, lest they listen to the angels on high.

ذَلِكَ تَقۡدِيرُ الۡعَزِيزِ الۡعَلِيمِ

Such is the Decree of Him, the Almighty, the All-Knower.

means, the Almighty Who has subjugated all things to His control, the All-Knower Who knows all the movements of His creatures

A Warning to the Disbelievers and a Reminder of the Story of `Ad and Thamud

Allah says:

فَإِنۡ أَعۡرَضُوا فَقُلۡ أَنذَرۡتُكُمۡ

But if they turn away, then say:I have warned you of,

Allah says:`Say, O Muhammad, to these idolators who disbelieve in the message of truth that you have brought:If you turn away from that which I have brought to you from Allah, then I warn you of the punishment of Allah like the punishment that the past nations suffered for disbelieving in the Messengers.'

صَاعِقَةً مِّثۡلَ صَاعِقَةِ عَادٍ وَثَمُودَ

a Sa`iqah like the Sa`iqah which overtook `Ad and Thamud.

and other similar nations who did what they did

إِذۡ جَاءتۡهُمُ الرُّسُلُ مِن بَيۡنِ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ

When the Messengers came to them, from before them and behind them,

This is like the Ayah:

وَاذۡكُرۡ أَخَا عَادٍ إِذۡ أَنذَرَ قَوۡمَهُ بِالاٌّحۡقَافِ وَقَدۡ خَلَتِ النُّذُرُ مِن بَيۡنِ يَدَيۡهِ وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِ

And remember (Hud) the brother of `Ad, when he warned his people in Al-Ahqaf. And surely, there have passed away warners before him and after him. (46:21)

which means that in the neighboring towns and cities, Allah sent Messengers who commanded the people to worship Allah Alone with no partner or associate, and they brought good news as well as warnings. They ﷺ the punishment Allah sent upon His enemies, and the blessings which He bestowed upon His friends, yet despite all of this, they did not believe in them.

أَلاَّ تَعۡبُدُوا إِلاَّ اللَّهَ

قَالُوا

(saying):Worship none but Allah, they said:

On the contrary, they denied them and rejected them, and said:

لَوۡ شَاء رَبُّنَا لَاَنزَلَ مَلَيِكَةً

If our Lord had so willed, He would surely have sent down the angels.

meaning, if Allah were to send Messengers, they would be angels sent from His presence.

فَإِنَّا بِمَا أُرۡسِلۡتُمۡ بِهِ كَافِرُونَ

So, indeed we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent.

means, `because you are a mere human; we will not follow you because you are just men like us.

فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَاسۡتَكۡبَرُوا فِي الاۡأَرۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ الۡحَقِّ

As for `Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right.

means, they were arrogant, stubborn and disobedient.

وَقَالُوا مَنۡ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً

and they said:Who is mightier than us in strength.

They boasted of their physical strength, and power; they thought that this would protect them from Allah's punishment.

أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمۡ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنۡهُمۡ قُوَّةً

See they not that Allah Who created them was mightier in strength than them.

means, do they not realize, when they are showing enmity, that He is the Almighty Who created all things and gave them whatever strength they have, and that His onslaught will be far greater.

This is like the Ayah:

وَالسَّمَأءَ بَنَيۡنَـهَا بِأَيۡدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ

With Hands did We construct the heaven. Verily, We are able to extend the vastness of space thereof. (51:47)

وَكَانُوا بِأيَاتِنَا يَجۡحَدُونَ

And they used to deny Our Ayat!

They openly opposed the Almighty and denied His signs and disobeyed His Messenger.

Allah said

فَأَرۡسَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ رِيحًا صَرۡصَرًا

So We sent upon them a Sarsar wind.

Some said that this was a strongly blowing wind; others said that it was a cold wind.

It was also said that it is the wind that makes a noise.

The truth that it was all of these things, for it was a strong wind that was an apt punishment for their being deceived by their physical strength.

It was also intensely cold, as Allah says:

بِرِيحٍ صَرۡصَرٍ عَاتِيَةٍ

with a Sarsar wind! (69:6),

meaning a very cold wind.

It also made a furious sound. Additionally, there is a famous river in the east which is called Sarsar because of the noise it makes as it flows.

فِي أَيَّامٍ نَّحِسَاتٍ

in days of calamity,

means, consecutive days.

سَبۡعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَـنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُوما

seven nights and eight days in succession, (69:7)

This is like the Ayah:

فِى يَوۡمِ نَحۡسٍ مُّسۡتَمِرٍّ

on a day of calamity, continuous, (54:19)

i.e., the punishment began on a day which was of evil omen for them, and this evil omen continued for them,

سَبۡعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَـنِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُوماً

seven nights and eight days in succession, (69:7)

until they were destroyed, every last one of them, and their humiliation in this world was joined to their punishment in the Hereafter.

Allah says:

لِّنُذِيقَهُمۡ عَذَابَ الۡخِزۡيِ فِي الۡحَيَاةِ الدُّنۡيَا

وَلَعَذَابُ الاۡخِرَةِ أَخۡزَى

that We might give them a taste of disgracing torment in this present worldly life. But surely the torment of the Hereafter will be more disgracing.

meaning, more humiliating for them.

وَهُمۡ لَا يُنصَرُونَ

and they will never be helped.

means, in the Hereafter, just as they were never helped in this world, and they had no one who could protect them from Allah or save them from His punishment

وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيۡنَاهُمۡ

And as for Thamud, We showed them the path of truth.

Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Abu Al-Aliyah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd said,

We explained to them.

Ath-Thawri said, We called them.

Allah's saying;

فَاسۡتَحَبُّوا الۡعَمَى عَلَى الۡهُدَى

but they preferred blindness to guidance;

means, `We showed them the truth and made it clear to them through the words of their Prophet Salih, but they opposed him and rejected him, and they slaughtered the she-camel of Allah which He had made a sign for them of the truth of their Prophet.'

فَأَخَذَتۡهُمۡ صَاعِقَةُ الۡعَذَابِ الۡهُونِ

so the Sa`iqah of disgracing torment seized them.

means, Allah sent upon them the Sayhah, earthquake, intense humiliation, punishment and torment.

بِمَا كَانُوا يَكۡسِبُونَ

because of what they used to earn.

means, because of their disbelief and rejection.

وَنَجَّيۡنَا الَّذِينَ امَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ

And We saved those who believed and had Taqwa.

means, `We saved them from among them, and no harm came to them;' Allah saved them along with His Prophet Salih, peace be upon him, because of their fear of Allah.

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