Maryam 19:65
Mary · Juz 16 · Page 310
رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا فَٱعۡبُدۡهُ وَٱصۡطَبِرۡ لِعِبَٰدَتِهِۦۚ هَلۡ تَعۡلَمُ لَهُۥ سَمِيّٗا ٦٥
Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them - so worship Him and have patience for His worship. Do you know of any similarity to Him?"
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
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Commentary on 19:65–67
Commentary
وَاصْطَبِرْ لِعِبَادَتِهِ ("and-persevere in His worship." - 19:65) The word اِصطِبَار ' means perseverance in the face of acute distress and hardship. The point here is that anyone who wishes to be constant and steadfast in. his prayers must be prepared to undergo pain and suffering.
هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُ سَمِيًّا ("Do you know any one worthy of His name?" - 19:65). In the generally accepted sense the word applies to persons bearing the same name. The polytheists and idolaters had included many humans, angels, stones and idols along with Allah Ta` ala in their worship and designated all of them as سَمِیُّ i.e. as objects of worship but it is a strange and extraordinary coincidence that none of their false gods was ever named as Allah. This matter was preordained, and no idol or deity bore the name Allah. Thus, the literal meaning of the word would adequately explain the meaning of this verse which is that there is no object in the world bearing Allah's name.
Many commentators, among them Mujahid, Ibn Zubair, Qatadah, and Ibn ` Abbas ؓ ، are of the view that in the present context the word means "a like" or "comparable" and the sense of the verse is that in the entire pantheon of false gods none is equal or comparable to Allah Ta` ala in so far as divine attributes are concerned.
Page 310
19:65
رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَيۡنَهُمَا فَٱعۡبُدۡهُ وَٱصۡطَبِرۡ لِعِبَٰدَتِهِۦۚ هَلۡ تَعۡلَمُ لَهُۥ سَمِيّٗا ٦٥
Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them - so worship Him and have patience for His worship. Do you know of any similarity to Him?"
19:66
وَيَقُولُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ أَءِذَا مَا مِتُّ لَسَوۡفَ أُخۡرَجُ حَيًّا ٦٦
And man [i.e., the disbeliever] says, "When I have died, am I going to be brought forth alive?"
19:67
أَوَلَا يَذۡكُرُ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ أَنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُ مِن قَبۡلُ وَلَمۡ يَكُ شَيۡـٔٗا ٦٧
Does man not remember that We created him before, while he was nothing?
19:68
فَوَرَبِّكَ لَنَحۡشُرَنَّهُمۡ وَٱلشَّيَٰطِينَ ثُمَّ لَنُحۡضِرَنَّهُمۡ حَوۡلَ جَهَنَّمَ جِثِيّٗا ٦٨
So by your Lord, We will surely gather them and the devils; then We will bring them to be present around Hell upon their knees.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., fallen on their knees from terror or dragged there unwillingly on their knees. ↩
19:69
ثُمَّ لَنَنزِعَنَّ مِن كُلِّ شِيعَةٍ أَيُّهُمۡ أَشَدُّ عَلَى ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ عِتِيّٗا ٦٩
Then We will surely extract from every sect those of them who were worst against the Most Merciful in insolence.
19:70
ثُمَّ لَنَحۡنُ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ أَوۡلَىٰ بِهَا صِلِيّٗا ٧٠
Then, surely it is We who are most knowing of those most worthy of burning therein.
19:71
وَإِن مِّنكُمۡ إِلَّا وَارِدُهَاۚ كَانَ عَلَىٰ رَبِّكَ حَتۡمٗا مَّقۡضِيّٗا ٧١
And there is none of you except he will come to it.1 This is upon your Lord an inevitability decreed.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., be exposed to it. However, the people of Paradise will not be harmed thereby. ↩
19:72
ثُمَّ نُنَجِّي ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَواْ وَّنَذَرُ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ فِيهَا جِثِيّٗا ٧٢
Then We will save those who feared Allāh and leave the wrongdoers within it, on their knees.
19:73
وَإِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتُنَا بَيِّنَٰتٖ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَيُّ ٱلۡفَرِيقَيۡنِ خَيۡرٞ مَّقَامٗا وَأَحۡسَنُ نَدِيّٗا ٧٣
And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who disbelieve say to those who believe, "Which of [our] two parties is best in position and best in association?"1
1 translator’s note
- In regard to worldly interests. ↩
19:74
وَكَمۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا قَبۡلَهُم مِّن قَرۡنٍ هُمۡ أَحۡسَنُ أَثَٰثٗا وَرِءۡيٗا ٧٤
And how many a generation have We destroyed before them who were better in possessions and [outward] appearance?
19:75
قُلۡ مَن كَانَ فِي ٱلضَّلَٰلَةِ فَلۡيَمۡدُدۡ لَهُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ مَدًّاۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا رَأَوۡاْ مَا يُوعَدُونَ إِمَّا ٱلۡعَذَابَ وَإِمَّا ٱلسَّاعَةَ فَسَيَعۡلَمُونَ مَنۡ هُوَ شَرّٞ مَّكَانٗا وَأَضۡعَفُ جُندٗا ٧٥
Say, "Whoever is in error - let the Most Merciful extend for him an extension [in wealth and time] until, when they see that which they were promised - either punishment [in this world] or the Hour [of resurrection] - they will come to know who is worst in position and weaker in soldiers."
19:76
وَيَزِيدُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱهۡتَدَوۡاْ هُدٗىۗ وَٱلۡبَٰقِيَٰتُ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتُ خَيۡرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابٗا وَخَيۡرٞ مَّرَدًّا ٧٦
And Allāh increases those who were guided, in guidance, and the enduring good deeds are better to your Lord1 for reward and better for recourse.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., in the sight or evaluation of Allāh. ↩