Fatir 35:26
Originator · Juz 22 · Page 437
ثُمَّ أَخَذۡتُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْۖ فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ ٢٦
Then I seized the ones who disbelieved, and how [terrible] was My reproach.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 35:19–26
The Believer and the Disbeliever are not equal
Allah says that these antonyms are clearly not equal, the blind and the seeing are not equal, there is a difference and a huge gap between them. Darkness and light are not equal, neither are shade and the sun's heat. By the same token, the living and the dead are not equal. This is the parable Allah makes of the believers who are the living, and the disbelievers who are the dead. This is like the Ayat:
أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِى النَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ
(Is he who was dead and We gave him life and set for him a light (of belief) whereby he can walk amongst men -- like him who is in the (depths of) darkness from which he can never come out) (6:122),
مَثَلُ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ كَالاٌّعْمَى وَالاٌّصَمِّ وَالْبَصِيرِ وَالسَّمِيعِ هَلْ يَسْتَوِيَانِ مَثَلاً
(The parable of the two parties is as that of the blind and the deaf and the seer and the hearer. Are they equal when compared) (11:24) The believer sees and hears, and walks in the light upon a straight path in this world and the Hereafter, until he comes to settle in Gardens (Paradise) wherein is shade and springs. The disbeliever is blind and deaf, walking in darkness from which he cannot escape, he is lost in his misguidance in this world and the Hereafter, until he ends up in fierce hot wind and boiling water, and shadow of black smoke, neither cool nor good.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُسْمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُ
(Verily, Allah makes whom He wills to hear,) means. He guides them to listen to the proof and accept it and adhere it.
وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسْمِعٍ مَّن فِى الْقُبُورِ
(but you cannot make hear those who are in graves.) means, `just as the dead cannot benefit from guidance and the call to truth after they have died as disbelievers and ended up in the graves, so too you cannot help these idolators who are decreed to be doomed, and you cannot guide them.'
إِنْ أَنتَ إِلاَّ نَذِيرٌ
You are only a warner means, all you have to do is to convey the Message and warn them, and Allah leaves astray whomsoever He wills and guides whomsoever He wills.
إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا
(Verily, We have sent you with the truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.) means, a bearer of glad tidings to the believers and a warner to the disbelievers.
وَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلاَّ خَلاَ فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ
(And there never was a nation but a warner had passed among them.) means, there was never any nation among the sons of Adam but Allah sent warners to them, and left them with no excuse. This is like the Ayat:
إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ
(You are only a warner, and to every people there is a guide) (13:7).
وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الْطَّغُوتَ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللَّهُ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلَلَةُ
(And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah, and avoid all false deities." Then of them were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified) (16:36). And there are many similar Ayat.
وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَتِ
(And if they deny you, those before them also denied. Their Messengers came to them with clear signs,) means, clear miracles and definitive proofs.
وَبِالزُّبُرِ
(and with the Scriptures,) means, the Books.
وَبِالْكِتَبِ الْمُنِيرِ
(and with the Book giving light.) means, clear and obvious.
ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ
(Then I took hold of those who disbelieved,) means, `despite all of this, they denied the Messengers and the Message they brought, so I seized them, i.e., with My punishment.'
فَكَيْفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ
and how terrible was My denial! means, how great and intense and terrible do you think My punishment was؟ And Allah knows best.
Page 437
35:19
وَمَا يَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡأَعۡمَىٰ وَٱلۡبَصِيرُ ١٩
Not equal are the blind and the seeing,
35:20
وَلَا ٱلظُّلُمَٰتُ وَلَا ٱلنُّورُ ٢٠
Nor are the darknesses and the light,
35:21
وَلَا ٱلظِّلُّ وَلَا ٱلۡحَرُورُ ٢١
Nor are the shade and the heat,1
1 translator’s note
- Of the sun or of a scorching wind. ↩
35:22
وَمَا يَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡأَحۡيَآءُ وَلَا ٱلۡأَمۡوَٰتُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسۡمِعُ مَن يَشَآءُۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُسۡمِعٖ مَّن فِي ٱلۡقُبُورِ ٢٢
And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allāh causes to hear whom He wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves.1
1 translator’s note
- The four comparisons given by Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) in verses 19-22 are those of the believer and unbeliever, various kinds of misbelief and (true) belief, Paradise and Hellfire, and those receptive to guidance and those unreceptive. ↩
35:23
إِنۡ أَنتَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ ٢٣
You, [O Muḥammad], are not but a warner.
35:24
إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَٰكَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ بَشِيرٗا وَنَذِيرٗاۚ وَإِن مِّنۡ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خَلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٞ ٢٤
Indeed, We have sent you with the truth as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And there was no nation but that there had passed within it a warner.
35:25
وَإِن يُكَذِّبُوكَ فَقَدۡ كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ جَآءَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِ وَبِٱلزُّبُرِ وَبِٱلۡكِتَٰبِ ٱلۡمُنِيرِ ٢٥
And if they deny you - then already have those before them denied. Their messengers came to them with clear proofs and written ordinances and with the enlightening Scripture.
35:26
ثُمَّ أَخَذۡتُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْۖ فَكَيۡفَ كَانَ نَكِيرِ ٢٦
Then I seized the ones who disbelieved, and how [terrible] was My reproach.
35:27
أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦ ثَمَرَٰتٖ مُّخۡتَلِفًا أَلۡوَٰنُهَاۚ وَمِنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ جُدَدُۢ بِيضٞ وَحُمۡرٞ مُّخۡتَلِفٌ أَلۡوَٰنُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٞ ٢٧
Do you not see that Allāh sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby fruits of varying colors? And in the mountains are tracts, white and red of varying shades and [some] extremely black.
35:28
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱلدَّوَآبِّ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ مُخۡتَلِفٌ أَلۡوَٰنُهُۥ كَذَٰلِكَۗ إِنَّمَا يَخۡشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡعُلَمَٰٓؤُاْۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ ٢٨
And among people and moving creatures and grazing livestock are various colors similarly. Only those fear Allāh, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allāh is Exalted in Might and Forgiving.
35:29
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتۡلُونَ كِتَٰبَ ٱللَّهِ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقۡنَٰهُمۡ سِرّٗا وَعَلَانِيَةٗ يَرۡجُونَ تِجَٰرَةٗ لَّن تَبُورَ ٢٩
Indeed, those who recite the Book of Allāh and establish prayer and spend [in His cause] out of what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, [can] expect a transaction [i.e., profit] that will never perish -
35:30
لِيُوَفِّيَهُمۡ أُجُورَهُمۡ وَيَزِيدَهُم مِّن فَضۡلِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّهُۥ غَفُورٞ شَكُورٞ ٣٠
That He may give them in full their rewards and increase for them of His bounty. Indeed, He is Forgiving and Appreciative.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., He gives much in return for little and multiplies rewards. ↩
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy