Al-Anbya 21:93
The Prophets · Juz 17 · Page 330
وَتَقَطَّعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَهُم بَيۡنَهُمۡۖ كُلٌّ إِلَيۡنَا رَٰجِعُونَ ٩٣
And [yet] they divided their affair [i.e., that of their religion] among themselves,1 [but] all to Us will return.
1 translator’s note
- Becoming sects and denominations. ↩
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Commentary on 21:92–94
Mankind is One Ummah
إِنَّ هَذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً
(Truly, this, your Ummah is one,) Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Qatadah and `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "Your religion is one religion." Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: "In this Ayah, Allah explains to them what they should avoid and what they should do." Then He said:
إِنَّ هَذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً
(Truly, this, your Ummah is one religion,) "Meaning, your path is one path. Certainly this is your Shari`ah (Divine Law) which I have clearly explained you." So Allah says:
وَأَنَاْ رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ
(and I am your Lord, therefore worship Me.) This is like the Ayah:
يأَيُّهَا الرُّسُلُ كُلُواْ مِنَ الطَّيِّبَتِ وَاعْمَلُواْ صَلِحاً
(O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibat (good things) and do righteous deeds.) Until His saying,
وَأَنَاْ رَبُّكُمْ فَاتَّقُونِ
(And I am your Lord, so have Taqwa of Me.) 23:51-52 The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«نَحْنُ مَعَاشِرَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أَوْلَادُ عَلَّاتٍ دِينُنَا وَاحِد»
(We Prophets are brothers from different mothers and our religion is one.) What is meant here is that they all worshipped Allah Alone with no partner or associate, although the Laws of each Messenger may have differed, as Allah says:
لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَجاً
(To each among you, We have prescribed a Law and a clear way) 5:48
وَتَقَطَّعُواْ أَمْرَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ
(But they have broken up and differed in their religion among themselves.) meaning, the nations were divided over their Messengers; some of them believed in them and some rejected them. Allah says:
كُلٌّ إِلَيْنَا رَجِعُونَ
((And) they all shall return to Us.) meaning, `on the Day of Resurrection, when We will requite each person according to his deeds. If they are good, then he will be rewarded and if they are evil then he will be punished.' Allah says:
فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ الصَّلِحَتِ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ
(So whoever does righteous good deeds while he is a believer,) meaning, his heart believes and his deeds are righteous.
فَلاَ كُفْرَانَ لِسَعْيِهِ
(his efforts will not be rejected. ) This is like the Ayah:
إِنَّا لاَ نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ مَنْ أَحْسَنَ عَمَلاً
(certainly We shall not make the reward of anyone who does his deeds in the most perfect manner to be lost.) 18:30 which means, his efforts will not be wasted; they will be appreciated and not even a speck of dust's weight of injustice will be done. Allah says:
وَإِنَّا لَهُ كَتِبُونَ
(Verily, We record it for him.) means, all his deeds are recorded and nothing of them at all is lost.
Page 330
21:91
وَٱلَّتِيٓ أَحۡصَنَتۡ فَرۡجَهَا فَنَفَخۡنَا فِيهَا مِن رُّوحِنَا وَجَعَلۡنَٰهَا وَٱبۡنَهَآ ءَايَةٗ لِّلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٩١
And [mention] the one who guarded her chastity [i.e., Mary], so We blew into her [garment] through Our angel [i.e., Gabriel], and We made her and her son a sign for the worlds.
21:92
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمۡ فَٱعۡبُدُونِ ٩٢
Indeed this, your religion, is one religion,1 and I am your Lord, so worship Me.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., a collective way of life or course of conduct followed by a community. ↩
21:93
وَتَقَطَّعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَهُم بَيۡنَهُمۡۖ كُلٌّ إِلَيۡنَا رَٰجِعُونَ ٩٣
And [yet] they divided their affair [i.e., that of their religion] among themselves,1 [but] all to Us will return.
1 translator’s note
- Becoming sects and denominations. ↩
21:94
فَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَهُوَ مُؤۡمِنٞ فَلَا كُفۡرَانَ لِسَعۡيِهِۦ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ كَٰتِبُونَ ٩٤
So whoever does righteous deeds while he is a believer - no denial will there be for his effort,1 and indeed We [i.e., Our angels], of it, are recorders.
1 translator’s note
- Such a person will not be deprived of his due reward. ↩
21:95
وَحَرَٰمٌ عَلَىٰ قَرۡيَةٍ أَهۡلَكۡنَٰهَآ أَنَّهُمۡ لَا يَرۡجِعُونَ ٩٥
And it is prohibited to [the people of] a city which We have destroyed that they will [ever] return1
1 translator’s note
- They cannot return to this world, nor can they repent to Allāh. ↩
21:96
حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا فُتِحَتۡ يَأۡجُوجُ وَمَأۡجُوجُ وَهُم مِّن كُلِّ حَدَبٖ يَنسِلُونَ ٩٦
Until when [the dam of] Gog and Magog has been opened and they, from every elevation, descend
21:97
وَٱقۡتَرَبَ ٱلۡوَعۡدُ ٱلۡحَقُّ فَإِذَا هِيَ شَٰخِصَةٌ أَبۡصَٰرُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَا قَدۡ كُنَّا فِي غَفۡلَةٖ مِّنۡ هَٰذَا بَلۡ كُنَّا ظَٰلِمِينَ ٩٧
And [when] the true promise [i.e., the resurrection] has approached; then suddenly the eyes of those who disbelieved will be staring [in horror, while they say], "O woe to us; we had been unmindful of this; rather, we were wrongdoers."
21:98
إِنَّكُمۡ وَمَا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ حَصَبُ جَهَنَّمَ أَنتُمۡ لَهَا وَٰرِدُونَ ٩٨
Indeed, you [disbelievers] and what you worship other than Allāh are the firewood of Hell. You will be coming to [enter] it.
21:99
لَوۡ كَانَ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ ءَالِهَةٗ مَّا وَرَدُوهَاۖ وَكُلّٞ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ ٩٩
Had these [false deities] been [actual] gods, they would not have come to it, but all are eternal therein.
21:100
لَهُمۡ فِيهَا زَفِيرٞ وَهُمۡ فِيهَا لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ ١٠٠
For them therein is heavy sighing, and they therein will not hear.
21:101
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ سَبَقَتۡ لَهُم مِّنَّا ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰٓ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ عَنۡهَا مُبۡعَدُونَ ١٠١
Indeed, those for whom the best [reward] has preceded from Us - they are from it far removed.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy