Az-Zumar 39:66
The Troops · Juz 24 · Page 465
بَلِ ٱللَّهَ فَٱعۡبُدۡ وَكُن مِّنَ ٱلشَّٰكِرِينَ ٦٦
Rather, worship [only] Allāh and be among the grateful.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 39:63–66
Commentary
The word: مَقَالِيدُ (maqalid) in: لَّهُ مَقَالِيدُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضِ (To Him belong the keys to the heavens and the earth.- 39:63) is the plural form of: مِقلاد (miqlad) or: مِقلِید (miqlid) meaning a key. It has been said that this word has really been Arabicized from the Persian language. In Persian, a key is called کَلِید (kalid). When Arabicized, it became: اِقلِید (iqlid) with its plural being: مَقَالِيدُ (maqalid) (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani). Having keys in one's hand denotes ownership, possession and the ability to dispense at will. Therefore, the sense of the verse is that the keys to whatever treasures lie hidden in the heavens and the earth are in the hands of Allah and He alone is the custodian and the dispenser in that it is He who gives whenever He wills to whomever He wills and as much as He wills - and would just not give to anyone He so wills.
And in some narrations of Hadith, the third kalimah, that is: سُبحَانَ اللہِ وَالحَمدُ للہِ وَ لا إلہ إلا اللہُ و اللہُ اَکبَر وَلَاحولَ وَلَا قُوَّۃَ اِلَّا بِاللہِ اَلعَلِیِّ العَظِیم (Pure is Allah and Praised is Allah and there is no god worthy of worship but Allah and Allah is Great and there is no strength and there is no power except from Allah, the High, the Great) has been called: مَقَالِيدُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضِ ('the keys to the heavens and the earth' - 39:63). The outcome is: One who recites this kalimah, mornings and evenings, is blessed by Allah Ta’ ala from the treasures of the heavens and the earth. Ibn-ul-Jawzi has declared these narrations to be: موضوع (mawdu': fabricated, forged). But, other Hadith experts have rated these as weak ضَعِیف (da` if) ahadith that can be relied
upon in the matter of the merits of good deeds. (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani)
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39:57
أَوۡ تَقُولَ لَوۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هَدَىٰنِي لَكُنتُ مِنَ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ ٥٧
Or [lest] it say, "If only Allāh had guided me, I would have been among the righteous."
39:58
أَوۡ تَقُولَ حِينَ تَرَى ٱلۡعَذَابَ لَوۡ أَنَّ لِي كَرَّةٗ فَأَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ٥٨
Or [lest] it say when it sees the punishment, "If only I had another turn1 so I could be among the doers of good."
1 translator’s note
- At worldly life. ↩
39:59
بَلَىٰ قَدۡ جَآءَتۡكَ ءَايَٰتِي فَكَذَّبۡتَ بِهَا وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرۡتَ وَكُنتَ مِنَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٥٩
But yes, there had come to you My verses, but you denied them and were arrogant, and you were among the disbelievers.
39:60
وَيَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ تَرَى ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ وُجُوهُهُم مُّسۡوَدَّةٌۚ أَلَيۡسَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَثۡوٗى لِّلۡمُتَكَبِّرِينَ ٦٠
And on the Day of Resurrection you will see those who lied about Allāh [with] their faces blackened. Is there not in Hell a residence for the arrogant?
39:61
وَيُنَجِّي ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوۡاْ بِمَفَازَتِهِمۡ لَا يَمَسُّهُمُ ٱلسُّوٓءُ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ ٦١
And Allāh will save those who feared Him by their attainment;1 no evil will touch them, nor will they grieve.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., their success in the trials of worldly life and attainment of Paradise. ↩
39:62
ٱللَّهُ خَٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ وَكِيلٞ ٦٢
Allāh is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs.
39:63
لَّهُۥ مَقَالِيدُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡخَٰسِرُونَ ٦٣
To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. And they who disbelieve in the verses of Allāh - it is those who are the losers.
39:64
قُلۡ أَفَغَيۡرَ ٱللَّهِ تَأۡمُرُوٓنِّيٓ أَعۡبُدُ أَيُّهَا ٱلۡجَٰهِلُونَ ٦٤
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Is it other than Allāh that you order me to worship, O ignorant ones?"
39:65
وَلَقَدۡ أُوحِيَ إِلَيۡكَ وَإِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكَ لَئِنۡ أَشۡرَكۡتَ لَيَحۡبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡخَٰسِرِينَ ٦٥
And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allāh, your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers.
39:66
بَلِ ٱللَّهَ فَٱعۡبُدۡ وَكُن مِّنَ ٱلشَّٰكِرِينَ ٦٦
Rather, worship [only] Allāh and be among the grateful.
39:67
وَمَا قَدَرُواْ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدۡرِهِۦ وَٱلۡأَرۡضُ جَمِيعٗا قَبۡضَتُهُۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ وَٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ مَطۡوِيَّٰتُۢ بِيَمِينِهِۦۚ سُبۡحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ ٦٧
They have not appraised Allāh with true appraisal,1 while the earth entirely will be [within] His grip2 on the Day of Resurrection, and the heavens will be folded in His right hand.3 Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him.