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Ayah
Word by Word
أَمۡ
Or
يَحۡسَبُونَ
(do) they think
أَنَّا
that We
لَا
(can) not
نَسۡمَعُ
hear
سِرَّهُمۡ
their secret(s)
وَنَجۡوَىٰهُمۚ
and their private counsel(s)
بَلَىٰ
Nay
وَرُسُلُنَا
and Our Messengers
لَدَيۡهِمۡ
with them
يَكۡتُبُونَ
are recording
أَمۡ
Or
يَحۡسَبُونَ
(do) they think
أَنَّا
that We
لَا
(can) not
نَسۡمَعُ
hear
سِرَّهُمۡ
their secret(s)
وَنَجۡوَىٰهُمۚ
and their private counsel(s)
بَلَىٰ
Nay
وَرُسُلُنَا
and Our Messengers
لَدَيۡهِمۡ
with them
يَكۡتُبُونَ
are recording
Translation
Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private counsels? Indeed (We do), and Our messengers are by them, to record.
Tafsir
Or do they reckon that We do not hear their secret thoughts and their conspiring?, that is to say, what they secretly communicate to others and what they openly conspire about among themselves. Yes indeed!, We hear [all of] that, and Our messengers, the guardians, are with them keeping a record, of that.
The Punishment of the Doomed
The description of the state of the blessed is followed by a description of the state of the doomed.
إِنَّ الۡمُجۡرِمِينَ فِي عَذَابِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدُونَ
لَاا يُفَتَّرُ عَنۡهُمۡ
Verily, the criminals will be in the torment of Hell to abide therein forever. It will not be lightened for them,
meaning, not even for one moment.
وَهُمۡ فِيهِ مُبۡلِسُونَ
and they will be plunged into destruction with deep regrets, sorrows and in despair therein,
means, they will despair of any goodness.
وَمَا ظَلَمۡنَاهُمۡ وَلَكِن كَانُوا هُمُ الظَّالِمِينَ
We wronged them not, but they were the wrongdoers.
means, by their committing wrong actions after proof had been established against them and Messengers had been sent to them, but they rejected them and rebelled, so they are to be punished accordingly. And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) servants
وَنَادَوۡا يَا مَالِكُ
And they will cry:O Malik... (who is the keeper of Hell).
Al-Bukhari said,
Hajjaj bin Minhal told us, Sufyan bin Uyaynah told us, from Amr bin `Ata, from Safwan bin Ya`la that his father, may Allah be pleased with him, said, `I heard the Messenger of Allah reciting on the Minbar:
وَنَادَوۡا يَا مَالِكُ
.
لِيَقۡضِ عَلَيۡنَا
رَبُّكَ
And they will cry:O Malik! Let your Lord make an end of us.
meaning, `let Him destroy our souls and give us some respite from our predicament.'
But it will be as Allah says:
لَا يُقۡضَى عَلَيۡهِمۡ فَيَمُوتُواۡ وَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنۡهُمۡ مِّنۡ عَذَابِهَا
Neither will it have a complete killing effect on them so that they die nor shall its torment be lightened for them. (35:36)
وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا الاٌّشۡقَى
الَّذِى يَصۡلَى النَّارَ الۡكُبۡرَى
ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحۡيَا
But it will be avoided by the wretched, who will enter the great Fire. There he will neither die (to be in rest) nor live (a good living). (87:11-13)
When they ask to be allowed to die, Malik will answer them:
قَالَ إِنَّكُم مَّاكِثُونَ
He will say:Verily, you shall abide forever.
meaning, you will have no way out from it and no refuge.
Then the reason why they are doomed will be given, which is their stubborn resistance to the truth. Allah says:
لَقَدۡ جِيۡنَاكُم بِالۡحَقِّ
Indeed We have brought the truth to you,
meaning, `We have explained it to you clearly and in detail.'
وَلَكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَكُمۡ لِلۡحَقِّ كَارِهُونَ
but most of you have a hatred for the truth.
means, `but your nature could not accept it and did not seek it; on the contrary, you followed and venerated falsehood, and you stood in the way of truth and refused it, and despised its followers.'
So they will blame themselves and will feel regret at the time when regret will not be of any benefit to them.
Then Allah says:
أَمۡ أَبۡرَمُوا أَمۡرًا فَإِنَّا مُبۡرِمُونَ
Or have they plotted some plan? Then We too are planning.
Mujahid said,
They wanted to plot some evil, but We are also planning.
What Mujahid said is like the Ayah:
وَمَكَرُواۡ مَكۡراً وَمَكَرۡنَا مَكۡراً وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ
So they plotted a plot, and We planned a plan, while they perceived not. (27:50)
The idolators were trying their utmost to find ways of refuting the truth with falsehood, but Allah planned it so that the consequences of that would backfire on them. He said in refutation
أَمۡ يَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّا لَا نَسۡمَعُ سِرَّهُمۡ وَنَجۡوَاهُم
Or do they think that We hear not their secrets and their private counsel?
meaning, what they say secretly and openly.
بَلَى وَرُسُلُنَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ
Yes (We do) and Our messengers are by them, to record.
means, `We know what they are doing, and the angels are also recording their deeds, major and minor.
Allah has no Offspring Allah says:
Allah says,
قُلۡ
Say, -- (`O Muhammad') --
إِن كَانَ لِلرَّحۡمَنِ وَلَدٌ فَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الۡعَابِدِينَ
If the Most Gracious had a son, then I am the first of the worshippers.
meaning, `if this were so, then I would worship Him on that basis, because I am one of His servants; I obey all that He commands me and I am not too arrogant or proud to worship Him.'
This conditional phrase does not mean that what is described could happen nor that is possible as Allah says:
لَّوۡ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَداً لاَّصۡطَفَى مِمَّا يَخۡلُقُ مَا يَشَأءُ سُبۡحَـنَهُ هُوَ اللَّهُ الۡوَحِدُ الۡقَهَّارُ
Had Allah willed to take a son, He could have chosen whom He willed out of those whom He created. But glory be to Him! He is Allah, the One, the Irresistible. (39:4).
Allah says here:
سُبۡحَانَ رَبِّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ رَبِّ الۡعَرۡشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ
Glorified is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of the Throne! Exalted be He from all that they ascribe (to Him).
meaning, exalted and sanctified and glorified be the Creator of all things far above having any offspring, for He is Unique, One and Eternally Self-Sufficient. There is none equal to Him or like Him, and He does not have any offspring.
فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُوا
So leave them (alone) to speak nonsense,
means, in their ignorance and misguidance,
وَيَلۡعَبُوا
and play, (in their world),
حَتَّى يُلَقُوا يَوۡمَهُمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ
until they meet the Day of theirs which they have been promised.
which is the Day of Resurrection, i.e., then they will come to know what their end and destination will be on that Day.
The Uniqueness of the Lord
Allah exalted says,
وَهُوَ الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاء إِلَهٌ وَفِي الاَۡرۡضِ إِلَهٌ
It is He Who is the only God in the heaven and the only God on the earth.
means, He is the God of those who are in the heavens and the God of those who are on earth; all of them worship Him and are humbled before Him.
وَهُوَ الۡحَكِيمُ الۡعَلِيمُ
And He is the All-Wise, the All-Knower.
This Ayah is like the Ayah:
وَهُوَ اللَّهُ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَفِى الاٌّرۡضِ يَعۡلَمُ سِرَّكُمۡ وَجَهۡرَكُمۡ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا تَكۡسِبُونَ
And He is Allah in the heavens and on the earth; He knows what you conceal and what you reveal, and He knows what you earn. (6:3)
which means, He is the One who is called Allah in the heavens and on the earth.
وَتَبَارَكَ الَّذِي لَهُ مُلۡكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالاَۡرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا
And Blessed be He to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them,
means, He is their Creator and Sovereign, the One Who is controlling them with none to resist or oppose His rule. Blessed and exalted be He far above the notion of His having a child. He is eternally free of all faults and shortcomings, because He is the Lord, the Exalted, the Almighty, the Sovereign of all things, Who is in control of all affairs.
وَعِندَهُ عِلۡمُ السَّاعَةِ
and with Whom is the knowledge of the Hour,
means, no one knows when it will happen except Him.
وَإِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ
and to Whom you (all) will be returned.
means, and each person will be requited for his deeds; if they are good, then he will be rewarded, and if they are bad, then he will be punished.
The Idols have no Power of Intercession
Allah exalted says,
وَلَا يَمۡلِكُ الَّذِينَ يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ
And those whom they invoke instead of Him have no power,
means, the idols and false gods.
الشَّفَاعَةَ
of intercession,
means, they are not able to intercede for them.
إِلاَّ مَن شَهِدَ بِالۡحَقِّ وَهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُونَ
except for those who bear witness to the truth knowingly, and they know.
This means, but the one who bears witness to the truth has knowledge and insight, so his intercession with Allah will avail, by His leave.
The Idolators admit that Allah Alone is the Creator
Allah exalted says,
وَلَيِن سَأَلۡتَهُم مَّنۡ خَلَقَهُمۡ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ فَأَنَّى يُوۡفَكُونَ
And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say:Allah.
How then are they turned away?
means, `if you ask these idolators who associate others in worship with Allah,'
مَّنۡ خَلَقَهُمۡ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ
(who created them, they will surely say:Allah.)
means, they will admit that He Alone is the Creator of all things and He has no partner in that. Yet despite that they still worship others alongside Him who have nothing and are able to do nothing. This is the utmost foolishness and stupidity.
Allah says:
فَأَنَّى يُوۡفَكُونَ
(How then are they turned away).
The Prophet's Complaint to Allah
Allah says,
وَقِيلِهِ يَارَبِّ إِنَّ هَوُلَاء قَوۡمٌ لاَّ يُوۡمِنُونَ
And his saying:O my Lord! Verily, these are a people who believe not!
means, Muhammad said this; he complained to his Lord about his people who did not believe in him, and said,
`O Lord, these people do not believe.'
This is like the Ayah:
وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يرَبِّ إِنَّ قَوۡمِى اتَّخَذُواۡ هَـذَا الۡقُرۡءاَنَ مَهۡجُوراً
And the Messenger will say:O my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Qur'an. (25:30).
This is the view of Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, Mujahid and Qatadah, and this is how Ibn Jarir interpreted it.
Al-Bukhari said:
`Abdullah -- meaning Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him -- recited (Ayah 88 of Az-Zukhruf):
وَقالَ
الرَّسَولُ يَارَبِّ
And the Messenger will say:O my Lord!
Mujahid said concerning the Ayah:
وَقِيلِهِ يَارَبِّ إِنَّ هَوُلَاء قَوۡمٌ لاَّ يُوۡمِنُونَ
(And his saying:O my Lord! Verily, these are a people who believe not!)
Allah is stating what Muhammad said.
Qatadah said,
These are the words of your Prophet, when he complained about his people to his Lord.
فَاصۡفَحۡ عَنۡهُمۡ
So turn away from them,
means, from the idolators.
وَقُلۡ سَلَمٌ
and say Salam (peace!)
means, `do not respond to them in the same evil manner in which they address you; but try to soften their hearts and forgive them in word and deed.'
فَسَوۡفَ يَعۡلَمُونَ
But they will come to know.
This is a warning from Allah for them. His punishment, which cannot be warded off, struck them, and His religion and His word was supreme. Subsequently Jihad and striving were prescribed until the people entered the religion of Allah in crowds, and Islam spread throughout the east and the west. And Allah knows best.
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surah Az-Zukhruf. All praise and thanks are due to Allah and in Him is all strength and protection.
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