Al-Furqan 25:32
The Criterion · Juz 19 · Page 362
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوۡلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ جُمۡلَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِۦ فُؤَادَكَۖ وَرَتَّلۡنَٰهُ تَرۡتِيلٗا ٣٢
And those who disbelieve say, "Why was the Qur’ān not revealed to him all at once?" Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby your heart. And We have spaced it distinctly.1
1 translator’s note
- Also, "recited it with distinct recitation." ↩
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Commentary on 25:32–34
The Reason why the Qur'an was revealed in Stages, the Refutation of the Disbelievers, and their Evil
Allah tells us about the many objections raised by the disbelievers, their stubbornness, and how they spoke of things which were none of their concern. They said:
لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْءَانُ جُمْلَةً وَحِدَةً
("Why is not the Qur'an revealed to him all at once") meaning, why was this Qur'an, which was revealed to him, not sent down all at one time, as the previous Books, the Tawrah, Injil, Zabur and other Divine Books Allah answered them, telling them that it was revealed in stages over twenty-three years, according to events and circumstances, and whatever rulings were needed, in order to strengthen the hearts of the believers, as He says:
وَقُرْءانًا فَرَقْنَاهُ
(And (it is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts)...) (17:106). Allah says:
لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَكَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلاً
(that We may strengthen your heart thereby. And We have revealed it to you gradually, in stages.) Qatadah said it means: "We have explained it." `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said it means: "We have given its interpretation."
وَلاَ يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ
(And no example or similitude do they bring,) This means no arguments or doubts,
إِلاَّ جِئْنَكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيراً
(but We reveal to you the truth, and the better explanation thereof.) They do not say anything in an attempt to oppose the truth, but We respond to them with the truth of that same matter, more clearly and more eloquently than anything they say. Abu `Abdur-Rahman An-Nasa'i recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, "The Qur'an was sent down all at once to the first heaven on Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Power), then it was revealed over twenty years." Allah says:
وَلاَ يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلاَّ جِئْنَكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيراً
(And no example or similitude do they bring, but We reveal to you the truth, and the better explanation thereof.) and:
وَقُرْءانًا فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَى مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَهُ تَنْزِيلاً
(And (it is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages) (17:106). Then Allah tells us about the terrible state of the disbelievers when they are raised on the Day of Resurrection and gathered into Hell:
الَّذِينَ يُحْشَرُونَ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ إِلَى جَهَنَّمَ أُوْلَئِكَ شَرٌّ مَّكَاناً وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلاً
(Those who will be gathered to Hell on their faces, such will be in an evil state, and most astray from the path. ) In the Sahih, it is reported from Anas that a man said, "O Messenger of Allah, how will the disbeliever be gathered on his face on the Day of Resurrection" The Prophet said:
«إِنَّ الَّذِي أَمْشَاهُ عَلَى رِجْلَيْهِ قَادِرٌ أَنْ يُمْشِيَهُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَة»
(The One Who caused him to walk on his two feet is able to make him walk on his face on the Day of Resurrection.)
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25:21
۞ وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَرۡجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا لَوۡلَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَيۡنَا ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ أَوۡ نَرَىٰ رَبَّنَاۗ لَقَدِ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ فِيٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ وَعَتَوۡ عُتُوّٗا كَبِيرٗا ٢١
And those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, "Why were not angels sent down to us, or [why] do we [not] see our Lord?" They have certainly become arrogant within themselves1 and [become] insolent with great insolence.
1 translator’s note
- Additional meanings are "among themselves" and "over [the matter of] themselves." ↩
25:22
يَوۡمَ يَرَوۡنَ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ لَا بُشۡرَىٰ يَوۡمَئِذٖ لِّلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ وَيَقُولُونَ حِجۡرٗا مَّحۡجُورٗا ٢٢
The day they see the angels1 - no good tidings will there be that day for the criminals, and [the angels] will say, "Prevented and inaccessible."2
25:23
وَقَدِمۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُواْ مِنۡ عَمَلٖ فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ هَبَآءٗ مَّنثُورًا ٢٣
And We will approach [i.e., regard]1 what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed.
1 translator’s note
- On the Day of Judgement. ↩
25:24
أَصۡحَٰبُ ٱلۡجَنَّةِ يَوۡمَئِذٍ خَيۡرٞ مُّسۡتَقَرّٗا وَأَحۡسَنُ مَقِيلٗا ٢٤
The companions of Paradise, that Day, are [in] a better settlement and better resting place.
25:25
وَيَوۡمَ تَشَقَّقُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ بِٱلۡغَمَٰمِ وَنُزِّلَ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ تَنزِيلًا ٢٥
And [mention] the Day when the heaven will split open with [emerging] clouds,1 and the angels will be sent down in successive descent.
1 translator’s note
- Within which are the angels. ↩
25:26
ٱلۡمُلۡكُ يَوۡمَئِذٍ ٱلۡحَقُّ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِۚ وَكَانَ يَوۡمًا عَلَى ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ عَسِيرٗا ٢٦
True sovereignty, that Day, is for the Most Merciful. And it will be upon the disbelievers a difficult Day.
25:27
وَيَوۡمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيۡهِ يَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي ٱتَّخَذۡتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلٗا ٢٧
And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, "Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., followed the Prophet (ﷺ) on a path of guidance. ↩
25:28
يَٰوَيۡلَتَىٰ لَيۡتَنِي لَمۡ أَتَّخِذۡ فُلَانًا خَلِيلٗا ٢٨
Oh, woe to me! I wish I had not taken that one1 as a friend.
1 translator’s note
- The person who misguided him. ↩
25:29
لَّقَدۡ أَضَلَّنِي عَنِ ٱلذِّكۡرِ بَعۡدَ إِذۡ جَآءَنِيۗ وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ خَذُولٗا ٢٩
He led me away from the remembrance1 after it had come to me. And ever is Satan, to man, a deserter."2
25:30
وَقَالَ ٱلرَّسُولُ يَٰرَبِّ إِنَّ قَوۡمِي ٱتَّخَذُواْ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ مَهۡجُورٗا ٣٠
And the Messenger has said, "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur’ān as [a thing] abandoned."1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., avoiding it, not listening to or understanding it, not living by it, or preferring something else to it. ↩
25:31
وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلۡنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوّٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِرَبِّكَ هَادِيٗا وَنَصِيرٗا ٣١
And thus have We made for every prophet an enemy from among the criminals. But sufficient is your Lord as a guide and a helper.
25:32
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَوۡلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيۡهِ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانُ جُمۡلَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِۦ فُؤَادَكَۖ وَرَتَّلۡنَٰهُ تَرۡتِيلٗا ٣٢
And those who disbelieve say, "Why was the Qur’ān not revealed to him all at once?" Thus [it is] that We may strengthen thereby your heart. And We have spaced it distinctly.1
1 translator’s note
- Also, "recited it with distinct recitation." ↩