Al-Anbya 21:34
The Prophets · Juz 17 · Page 324
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?
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 21:34–35
Those who were opponents of the Prophet Muhammad in Makkah were more affluent and powerful in terms of material resources. They enjoyed respect and positions of superiority in the society of those days. According to them, this difference meant that they were on the right path and the Prophet Muhammad on the wrong path. But an excess or paucity of worldly effects bears no relation to superiority or inferiority, being purely for the purpose of trial. It is a trial imposed at the behest of God. If, after acquiring worldly resources, a man thinks highly of himself, he is as if proving himself unworthy of this blessing. The result will be that after death, in the life hereafter, he will be totally deprived of his riches. The people of Makkah were engaged in strenuous efforts to defeat the Prophet Muhammad, to the extent that they wanted to eliminate him somehow in order to nip his mission in the bud. God says that those who conspired against the Prophet had forgotten the fact that those who dug a grave for others, have ultimately to enter the grave themselves. Then, after death, when they faced their Real Lord, what would they do?
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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.