Al-Mu'minun 23:51
The Believers · Juz 18 · Page 345
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرُّسُلُ كُلُواْ مِنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَٱعۡمَلُواْ صَٰلِحًاۖ إِنِّي بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ عَلِيمٞ ٥١
[Allāh said], "O messengers, eat from the good foods and work righteousness. Indeed I, of what you do, am Knowing.
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 23:51–52
Religion is originally one, and the same religion was taught to all the prophets. Religion enhances man spiritually so that he may discover God as an Almighty Being. His mind and soul should be imbued with the idea of the one God, Who is watching his every move, and after his death will take a reckoning of all his deeds. This realization (ma‘rifah) is the real religion. As a man enters the fold of realization, he begins to adopt righteous and pious methods in all his affairs. The realization of God essentially results in fear of God, and fear of God necessarily results in a pious life.
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23:43
مَا تَسۡبِقُ مِنۡ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلَهَا وَمَا يَسۡتَـٔۡخِرُونَ ٤٣
No nation will precede its time [of termination], nor will they remain [thereafter].
23:44
ثُمَّ أَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتۡرَاۖ كُلَّ مَا جَآءَ أُمَّةٗ رَّسُولُهَا كَذَّبُوهُۖ فَأَتۡبَعۡنَا بَعۡضَهُم بَعۡضٗا وَجَعَلۡنَٰهُمۡ أَحَادِيثَۚ فَبُعۡدٗا لِّقَوۡمٖ لَّا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٤٤
Then We sent Our messengers in succession. Every time there came to a nation its messenger, they denied him, so We made them follow one another [to destruction], and We made them narrations.1 So away with a people who do not believe.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., history or lessons for mankind. ↩
23:45
ثُمَّ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مُوسَىٰ وَأَخَاهُ هَٰرُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا وَسُلۡطَٰنٖ مُّبِينٍ ٤٥
Then We sent Moses and his brother Aaron with Our signs and a clear authority1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., evidences from Allāh. ↩
23:46
إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ وَمَلَإِيْهِۦ فَٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ وَكَانُواْ قَوۡمًا عَالِينَ ٤٦
To Pharaoh and his establishment, but they were arrogant and were a haughty people.
23:47
فَقَالُوٓاْ أَنُؤۡمِنُ لِبَشَرَيۡنِ مِثۡلِنَا وَقَوۡمُهُمَا لَنَا عَٰبِدُونَ ٤٧
They said, "Should we believe two men like ourselves while their people are for us in servitude?"
23:48
فَكَذَّبُوهُمَا فَكَانُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡمُهۡلَكِينَ ٤٨
So they denied them and were of those destroyed.
23:49
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا مُوسَى ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَهۡتَدُونَ ٤٩
And We certainly gave Moses the Scripture that perhaps they1 would be guided.
1 translator’s note
- The Children of Israel. ↩
23:50
وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ وَأُمَّهُۥٓ ءَايَةٗ وَءَاوَيۡنَٰهُمَآ إِلَىٰ رَبۡوَةٖ ذَاتِ قَرَارٖ وَمَعِينٖ ٥٠
And We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign and sheltered them within a high ground having level [areas] and flowing water.
23:51
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلرُّسُلُ كُلُواْ مِنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَٱعۡمَلُواْ صَٰلِحًاۖ إِنِّي بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ عَلِيمٞ ٥١
[Allāh said], "O messengers, eat from the good foods and work righteousness. Indeed I, of what you do, am Knowing.
23:52
وَإِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمۡ فَٱتَّقُونِ ٥٢
And indeed this, your religion, is one religion,1 and I am your Lord, so fear Me."
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 21:92. ↩
23:53
فَتَقَطَّعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَهُم بَيۡنَهُمۡ زُبُرٗاۖ كُلُّ حِزۡبِۭ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ فَرِحُونَ ٥٣
But they [i.e., the people] divided their religion among them into portions [i.e., sects] - each faction, in what it has,1 rejoicing.
1 translator’s note
- Of beliefs, opinions, customs, etc. ↩
23:54
فَذَرۡهُمۡ فِي غَمۡرَتِهِمۡ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ ٥٤
So leave them in their confusion for a time.
23:55
أَيَحۡسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِۦ مِن مَّالٖ وَبَنِينَ ٥٥
Do they think that what We extend to them of wealth and children
23:56
نُسَارِعُ لَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡخَيۡرَٰتِۚ بَل لَّا يَشۡعُرُونَ ٥٦
Is [because] We hasten for them good things? Rather, they do not perceive.1
1 translator’s note
- That the good things given to them in this world are but a trial for them. ↩
23:57
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ خَشۡيَةِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ ٥٧
Indeed, they who are apprehensive from fear of their Lord
23:58
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٥٨
And they who believe in the signs of their Lord
23:59
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِرَبِّهِمۡ لَا يُشۡرِكُونَ ٥٩
And they who do not associate anything with their Lord