Al-Anbya 21:28
The Prophets · Juz 17 · Page 324
يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ وَلَا يَشۡفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ٱرۡتَضَىٰ وَهُم مِّنۡ خَشۡيَتِهِۦ مُشۡفِقُونَ ٢٨
He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them,1 and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves. And they, from fear of Him, are apprehensive.
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 20:110. ↩
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Commentary on 21:26–29
The Refutation of Those Who claim that the Angels are the Daughters of Allah; description of their Deeds and Status
Here Allah refutes those who claim that He has offspring among the angels -- exalted and sanctified be He. Some of the Arabs believed that the angels were the daughters of Allah, but Allah says:
سُبْحَانَهُ بَلْ عِبَادٌ مُّكْرَمُونَ
(Glory to Him! They are but honored servants.) meaning, the angels are servants of Allah who are honored by Him and who hold high positions of noble status. They obey Him to the utmost in all their words and deeds.
لاَ يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ
(They speak not until He has spoken, and they act on His command.) meaning, they do not initiate any matter before Him or go against His commands; on the contrary, they hasten to do as He commands, and He encompasses them with His knowledge so that nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him.
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ
(He knows what is before them, and what is behind them,)
وَلاَ يَشْفَعُونَ إِلاَّ لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى
(and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased.) This is like the Ayat:
مَن ذَا الَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ
(Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission) 2:255
وَلاَ تَنفَعُ الشَّفَعَةُ عِندَهُ إِلاَّ لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ
(Intercession with Him profits not except for him whom He permits) 34:23. There are many Ayat which say similar things.
وَهُمْ مِّنْ خَشْيَتِهِ
(And they for fear of Him) means, because they fear Him.
مُشْفِقُونَوَمَن يَقُلْ مِنْهُمْ إِنِّى إِلَهٌ مِّن دُونِهِ
(And they stand in awe. And if any of them should say: "Verily, I am a god besides Him,") meaning, whoever claims to be a god instead of Allah, i.e., alongside Allah,
فَذلِكَ نَجْزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى الظَّلِمِينَ
(such We should recompense with Hell. Thus We recompense the wrongdoers.) meaning, everyone who says this. This is a conditional sentence, and the condition stated does not necessarily have to take place. This is like the Ayat:
قُلْ إِن كَانَ لِلرَّحْمَنِ وَلَدٌ فَأَنَاْ أَوَّلُ الْعَبِدِينَ
(Say: "If the Most Gracious had a son, then I am the first of worshippers.") 43:81
لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَسِرِينَ
(If you join others in worship with Allah, (then) surely, (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers.) 39:65
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21:25
وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِيٓ إِلَيۡهِ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعۡبُدُونِ ٢٥
And We sent not before you any messenger except We revealed to him that, "There is no deity except Me, so worship Me."
21:26
وَقَالُواْ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ وَلَدٗاۗ سُبۡحَٰنَهُۥۚ بَلۡ عِبَادٞ مُّكۡرَمُونَ ٢٦
And they say, "The Most Merciful has taken a son." Exalted is He! Rather, they1 are [but] honored servants.
1 translator’s note
- Those they claim to be "children" of Allāh, such as the angels, Ezra, Jesus, etc. ↩
21:27
لَا يَسۡبِقُونَهُۥ بِٱلۡقَوۡلِ وَهُم بِأَمۡرِهِۦ يَعۡمَلُونَ ٢٧
They cannot precede Him in word, and they act by His command.
21:28
يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡ وَلَا يَشۡفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ٱرۡتَضَىٰ وَهُم مِّنۡ خَشۡيَتِهِۦ مُشۡفِقُونَ ٢٨
He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them,1 and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves. And they, from fear of Him, are apprehensive.
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 20:110. ↩
21:29
۞ وَمَن يَقُلۡ مِنۡهُمۡ إِنِّيٓ إِلَٰهٞ مِّن دُونِهِۦ فَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِيهِ جَهَنَّمَۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجۡزِي ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٢٩
And whoever of them should say, "Indeed, I am a god besides Him" - that one We would recompense with Hell. Thus do We recompense the wrongdoers.
21:30
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ كَانَتَا رَتۡقٗا فَفَتَقۡنَٰهُمَاۖ وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنَ ٱلۡمَآءِ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ حَيٍّۚ أَفَلَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٣٠
Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and then We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?
21:31
وَجَعَلۡنَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ رَوَٰسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِهِمۡ وَجَعَلۡنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجٗا سُبُلٗا لَّعَلَّهُمۡ يَهۡتَدُونَ ٣١
And We placed within the earth firmly set mountains, lest it should shift with them, and We made therein [mountain] passes [as] roads that they might be guided.
21:32
وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلسَّمَآءَ سَقۡفٗا مَّحۡفُوظٗاۖ وَهُمۡ عَنۡ ءَايَٰتِهَا مُعۡرِضُونَ ٣٢
And We made the sky a protected ceiling, but they, from its signs,1 are turning away.
1 translator’s note
- The signs present in the heavens. ↩
21:33
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ وَٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَۖ كُلّٞ فِي فَلَكٖ يَسۡبَحُونَ ٣٣
And it is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon; all [heavenly bodies] in an orbit are swimming.
21:34
وَمَا جَعَلۡنَا لِبَشَرٖ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ ٱلۡخُلۡدَۖ أَفَإِيْن مِّتَّ فَهُمُ ٱلۡخَٰلِدُونَ ٣٤
And We did not grant to any man before you eternity [on earth]; so if you die - would they be eternal?
21:35
كُلُّ نَفۡسٖ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۗ وَنَبۡلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلۡخَيۡرِ فِتۡنَةٗۖ وَإِلَيۡنَا تُرۡجَعُونَ ٣٥
Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy