Ya-Sin 36:44
Ya Sin · Juz 23 · Page 443
إِلَّا رَحۡمَةٗ مِّنَّا وَمَتَٰعًا إِلَىٰ حِينٖ ٤٤
Except as a mercy from Us and provision for a time.
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
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Commentary on 36:42–44
No wonder if the Qur'an is alluding to the aeroplane!
But, it is obvious that the Qur'an has not specifically named a camel or some other particular mode of conveyance at this place. This includes every such means of transportation that carries people and their baggage, accompanied or unaccompanied, right up to their desired destination. In our time, the invention of aeroplanes has made it amply clear that aeroplanes are the greatest substantiation of the Qur'anic statement: مِّن مِّثْلِهِ (mim-mithlihi: things similar to it). Then, its similarity with boat or ship is strongly supportive of it, because the way the ship of the sea sails on the surface of the water, and the mass of water does not make it drown, similarly, the airplane sails or flies over the bed of air and it does not throw it down. No wonder if the Qur'an may have left the statement: مِّن مِّثْلِهِ مَا يَرْكَبُونَ (mim-mithlihi ma yarkabun: things similar to it that they ride) ambiguous, so that all modes of conveyance and transportation that continue to be invented right through the last Day of Qiyamah get to be included therein. And Allah knows best.
Page 443
36:41
وَءَايَةٞ لَّهُمۡ أَنَّا حَمَلۡنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُمۡ فِي ٱلۡفُلۡكِ ٱلۡمَشۡحُونِ ٤١
And a sign for them is that We carried their forefathers1 in a laden ship.
1 translator’s note
- Usually meaning "descendants" or "offspring," the word "dhurriyyah" is used here to denote forefathers (their being the offspring of Noah), who were saved from the flood. ↩
36:42
وَخَلَقۡنَا لَهُم مِّن مِّثۡلِهِۦ مَا يَرۡكَبُونَ ٤٢
And We created for them from the likes of it that which they ride.
36:43
وَإِن نَّشَأۡ نُغۡرِقۡهُمۡ فَلَا صَرِيخَ لَهُمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يُنقَذُونَ ٤٣
And if We should will, We could drown them; then no one responding to a cry would there be for them, nor would they be saved
36:44
إِلَّا رَحۡمَةٗ مِّنَّا وَمَتَٰعًا إِلَىٰ حِينٖ ٤٤
Except as a mercy from Us and provision for a time.
36:45
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ ٱتَّقُواْ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيكُمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ ٤٥
But when it is said to them, "Beware of what is before you and what is behind you;1 perhaps you will receive mercy..."2
36:46
وَمَا تَأۡتِيهِم مِّنۡ ءَايَةٖ مِّنۡ ءَايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ إِلَّا كَانُواْ عَنۡهَا مُعۡرِضِينَ ٤٦
And no sign comes to them from the signs of their Lord except that they are from it turning away.
36:47
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمۡ أَنفِقُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَنُطۡعِمُ مَن لَّوۡ يَشَآءُ ٱللَّهُ أَطۡعَمَهُۥٓ إِنۡ أَنتُمۡ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٖ ٤٧
And when it is said to them, "Spend from that which Allāh has provided for you," those who disbelieve say to those who believe, "Should we feed one whom, if Allāh had willed, He would have fed? You are not but in clear error."
36:48
وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَىٰ هَٰذَا ٱلۡوَعۡدُ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٤٨
And they say, "When is this promise, if you should be truthful?"
36:49
مَا يَنظُرُونَ إِلَّا صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ تَأۡخُذُهُمۡ وَهُمۡ يَخِصِّمُونَ ٤٩
They do not await except one blast1 which will seize them while they are disputing.
1 translator’s note
- Literally, "cry" or "shriek," meaning the first blast of the Horn which will strike dead every living thing on the earth without warning. ↩
36:50
فَلَا يَسۡتَطِيعُونَ تَوۡصِيَةٗ وَلَآ إِلَىٰٓ أَهۡلِهِمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ ٥٠
And they will not be able [to give] any instruction, nor to their people can they return.
36:51
وَنُفِخَ فِي ٱلصُّورِ فَإِذَا هُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ يَنسِلُونَ ٥١
And the Horn will be blown;1 and at once from the graves to their Lord they will hasten.
1 translator’s note
- For the second time, signaling the Resurrection. ↩
36:52
قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَا مَنۢ بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرۡقَدِنَاۜۗ هَٰذَا مَا وَعَدَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ وَصَدَقَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ ٥٢
They will say, "O woe to us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping place?" [The reply will be], "This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers told the truth."
36:53
إِن كَانَتۡ إِلَّا صَيۡحَةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ فَإِذَا هُمۡ جَمِيعٞ لَّدَيۡنَا مُحۡضَرُونَ ٥٣
It will not be but one blast, and at once they are all brought present before Us.
36:54
فَٱلۡيَوۡمَ لَا تُظۡلَمُ نَفۡسٞ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا تُجۡزَوۡنَ إِلَّا مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٥٤
So today [i.e., the Day of Judgement] no soul will be wronged at all, and you will not be recompensed except for what you used to do.