As-Saffat 37:161
Those who set the Ranks · Juz 23 · Page 452
فَإِنَّكُمۡ وَمَا تَعۡبُدُونَ ١٦١
So indeed, you [disbelievers] and whatever you worship,
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 37:158–166
In verse 158, it was said: وَجَعَلُوا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجِنَّةِ نَسَبًا (And they have made up between Him and the Jinns some kinship). There are two explanations of this sentence. According to the first Tafsir, this is a description of the false belief held by the Mushriks of Arabia that the daughters of the chieftains of the Jinns are mothers of the angels. As if, God forbid, the daughters of the chieftains of the Jinns have marital relations with Allah Ta’ ala and, as a result of this bond, angels have come to exist. Hence, it appears in an exegetical narration when the Mushriks of Arabia declared angels to be the daughters of Allah, Sayyidna Abu Bakr 4 asked, "Who is their mother?" They said, "Daughters of the Jinns" (Tafsir ibn Kathir, p. 23, v. 4). But, this Tafsir leaves an unresolved difficulty behind: The verse is talking about the attribution of kinship between Allah Ta’ ala and the Jinns, while the marital relationship of a husband and wife is not based on kinship.
For this reason, another Tafsir that has been reported from Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas, Hasan al-Basri and Dahhak seems to be weightier. According to this Tafsir, some of the people of Arabia also believed that, God forbid, Iblis was a brother to Allah Ta’ ala who was the creator of good while he was the creator of evil. Here, this very false belief has been refuted (please see Tafsir ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qurtubi and Tafsir Kabir).
Immediately next within verse 158 it was said: وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَتِ الْجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ 158) ', while the Jinns already know that they are bound to appear (before Him).' Here, 'they' could be referring to the kinds of Mushriks who took Jinns and Shaitans as equals of God, meaning thereby that the Jinns know that these Mushriks will appear before Allah Ta’ ala for being punished, and could also refer to the Jinns themselves. In this situation, the sense of the verse would come to be that 'the Shaitans and Jinns you have taken to be associated with Allah in one or the other form already know very well that they are going to face a terrible fate in the Hereafter. For example, Iblis is perfectly aware of his evil end. Now, someone who himself believes that he has to taste his punishment could hardly be the equal of God and taking him to be so would certainly be a gross lack of good sense.
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37:154
مَا لَكُمۡ كَيۡفَ تَحۡكُمُونَ ١٥٤
What is [wrong] with you? How do you make judgement?
37:155
أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ١٥٥
Then will you not be reminded?
37:156
أَمۡ لَكُمۡ سُلۡطَٰنٞ مُّبِينٞ ١٥٦
Or do you have a clear authority?1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., evidence. ↩
37:157
فَأۡتُواْ بِكِتَٰبِكُمۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ١٥٧
Then produce your scripture, if you should be truthful.
37:158
وَجَعَلُواْ بَيۡنَهُۥ وَبَيۡنَ ٱلۡجِنَّةِ نَسَبٗاۚ وَلَقَدۡ عَلِمَتِ ٱلۡجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمۡ لَمُحۡضَرُونَ ١٥٨
And they have made [i.e., claimed] between Him and the jinn a lineage, but the jinn have already known that they [who made such claims] will be brought [to punishment].
37:159
سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ١٥٩
Exalted is Allāh above what they describe,
37:160
إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ ١٦٠
Except the chosen servants of Allāh [who do not share in that sin].
37:161
فَإِنَّكُمۡ وَمَا تَعۡبُدُونَ ١٦١
So indeed, you [disbelievers] and whatever you worship,
37:162
مَآ أَنتُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ بِفَٰتِنِينَ ١٦٢
You cannot tempt [anyone] away from Him
37:163
إِلَّا مَنۡ هُوَ صَالِ ٱلۡجَحِيمِ ١٦٣
Except he who is to [enter and] burn in the Hellfire.1
1 translator’s note
- Due to his disbelief and evil deeds. ↩
37:164
وَمَا مِنَّآ إِلَّا لَهُۥ مَقَامٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ ١٦٤
[The angels say],1 "There is not among us any except that he has a known position.2
37:165
وَإِنَّا لَنَحۡنُ ٱلصَّآفُّونَ ١٦٥
And indeed, we are those who line up [for prayer].
37:166
وَإِنَّا لَنَحۡنُ ٱلۡمُسَبِّحُونَ ١٦٦
And indeed, we are those who exalt Allāh."
37:167
وَإِن كَانُواْ لَيَقُولُونَ ١٦٧
And indeed, they [i.e., the disbelievers] used to say,1
1 translator’s note
- Before the revelation of the Qur’ān. ↩
37:168
لَوۡ أَنَّ عِندَنَا ذِكۡرٗا مِّنَ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٦٨
"If we had a message from [those of] the former peoples,
37:169
لَكُنَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ ١٦٩
We would have been the chosen servants of Allāh."
37:170
فَكَفَرُواْ بِهِۦۖ فَسَوۡفَ يَعۡلَمُونَ ١٧٠
But they disbelieved in it,1 so they are going to know.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., in their own message, the Qur’ān. ↩
37:171
وَلَقَدۡ سَبَقَتۡ كَلِمَتُنَا لِعِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٧١
And Our word [i.e., decree] has already preceded for Our servants, the messengers,
37:172
إِنَّهُمۡ لَهُمُ ٱلۡمَنصُورُونَ ١٧٢
[That] indeed, they would be those given victory
37:173
وَإِنَّ جُندَنَا لَهُمُ ٱلۡغَٰلِبُونَ ١٧٣
And [that] indeed, Our soldiers [i.e., the believers] will be those who overcome.1
1 translator’s note
- If not in this world, then definitely in the Hereafter. ↩
37:174
فَتَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ حِينٖ ١٧٤
So, [O Muḥammad], leave them for a time.
37:175
وَأَبۡصِرۡهُمۡ فَسَوۡفَ يُبۡصِرُونَ ١٧٥
And see [what will befall] them, for they are going to see.
37:176
أَفَبِعَذَابِنَا يَسۡتَعۡجِلُونَ ١٧٦
Then for Our punishment are they impatient?
37:177
فَإِذَا نَزَلَ بِسَاحَتِهِمۡ فَسَآءَ صَبَاحُ ٱلۡمُنذَرِينَ ١٧٧
But when it descends in their territory, then evil is the morning of those who were warned.
37:178
وَتَوَلَّ عَنۡهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ حِينٖ ١٧٨
And leave them for a time.
37:179
وَأَبۡصِرۡ فَسَوۡفَ يُبۡصِرُونَ ١٧٩
And see, for they are going to see.
37:180
سُبۡحَٰنَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ ٱلۡعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ ١٨٠
Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe.
37:181
وَسَلَٰمٌ عَلَى ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ ١٨١
And peace upon the messengers.
37:182
وَٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٨٢
And praise to Allāh, Lord of the worlds.