Ash-Shuraa 42:13
The Consultation · Juz 25 · Page 484
۞ شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِۦ نُوحٗا وَٱلَّذِيٓ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ وَمَا وَصَّيۡنَا بِهِۦٓ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰٓۖ أَنۡ أَقِيمُواْ ٱلدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُواْ فِيهِۚ كَبُرَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ مَا تَدۡعُوهُمۡ إِلَيۡهِۚ ٱللَّهُ يَجۡتَبِيٓ إِلَيۡهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِيٓ إِلَيۡهِ مَن يُنِيبُ ١٣
He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be divided therein. Difficult for those who associate others with Allāh is that to which you invite them. Allāh chooses for Himself whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him].
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Tazkirul Quran
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Commentary on 42:13
The prophets came into this world with the same religion and that is the religion of the oneness of God. But the followers of these prophets subsequently divided themselves into separate factions. The reason for this was the shift in the centre of their attention. Initially, attention was centred wholly on God: the teachings of all prophets took the form of exhorting people to worship the one and only God. That was their original religion but their followers later shifted the focus of their devotion and they became the worshippers of beings other than God. The ancient people of Arabia were initially the followers of Abraham. But, later on, the greatness of their leaders so captured their minds that they made them the sole centre of their attention. They even made idols to represent them and started worshipping them. The Jews were the followers of Moses, but they started considering their race a special one. Their attention became so concentrated on their own race, that godly religion became for them a racial matter. They rejected the last of the prophets simply because he was not born of their race. Similarly, Christians were the followers of Jesus Christ (‘Isa). But they took him to be the son of God instead of His Prophet. In this way, in the religion they later adopted, the notion of Jesus being the son of God attained the utmost importance. What God desires for His subjects is that they should be firm in the belief of the oneness of God. The one and only God should be the centre of all their attention. This constitutes real steadfastness in religion ‘din’. Any shift in this centre of attention amounts to polytheism (shirk). Whenever polytheism gains ground with the people, variations and differences immediately start making their appearance, because in the case of ‘shirk’, many centres of attention come into existence. In the case of ‘tawhid’ (unity of God), on the contrary, the centre of attention is only one—God: this creates a greater sense of unity among the faithful. Though the religion of the Prophet of Arabia is a preserved religion as far as its text is concerned, his followers are disparate in their beliefs and practices. People however, are free to make new things their centre of attention, to make changes in the original religion by having recourse to explanations and interpretations of the text, and in this way turn one religion, in practice, into several religions.
Page 484
42:11
فَاطِرُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجٗا وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ أَزۡوَٰجٗا يَذۡرَؤُكُمۡ فِيهِۚ لَيۡسَ كَمِثۡلِهِۦ شَيۡءٞۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡبَصِيرُ ١١
[He is] Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you from yourselves, mates, and among the cattle, mates; He multiplies you thereby. There is nothing like unto Him,1 and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.2
42:12
لَهُۥ مَقَالِيدُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ يَبۡسُطُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقۡدِرُۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٞ ١٢
To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth. He extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]. Indeed He is, of all things, Knowing.
42:13
۞ شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِۦ نُوحٗا وَٱلَّذِيٓ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ وَمَا وَصَّيۡنَا بِهِۦٓ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰٓۖ أَنۡ أَقِيمُواْ ٱلدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُواْ فِيهِۚ كَبُرَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ مَا تَدۡعُوهُمۡ إِلَيۡهِۚ ٱللَّهُ يَجۡتَبِيٓ إِلَيۡهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِيٓ إِلَيۡهِ مَن يُنِيبُ ١٣
He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be divided therein. Difficult for those who associate others with Allāh is that to which you invite them. Allāh chooses for Himself whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him].
42:14
وَمَا تَفَرَّقُوٓاْ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ بَغۡيَۢا بَيۡنَهُمۡۚ وَلَوۡلَا كَلِمَةٞ سَبَقَتۡ مِن رَّبِّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٖ مُّسَمّٗى لَّقُضِيَ بَيۡنَهُمۡۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ أُورِثُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ لَفِي شَكّٖ مِّنۡهُ مُرِيبٖ ١٤
And they did not become divided until after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And if not for a word1 that preceded from your Lord [postponing the penalty] until a specified time, it would have been concluded between them. And indeed, those who were granted inheritance of the Scripture after them are, concerning it, in disquieting doubt.
1 translator’s note
- Decree. See footnote to 10:19. ↩
42:15
فَلِذَٰلِكَ فَٱدۡعُۖ وَٱسۡتَقِمۡ كَمَآ أُمِرۡتَۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَآءَهُمۡۖ وَقُلۡ ءَامَنتُ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِن كِتَٰبٖۖ وَأُمِرۡتُ لِأَعۡدِلَ بَيۡنَكُمُۖ ٱللَّهُ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّكُمۡۖ لَنَآ أَعۡمَٰلُنَا وَلَكُمۡ أَعۡمَٰلُكُمۡۖ لَا حُجَّةَ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَكُمُۖ ٱللَّهُ يَجۡمَعُ بَيۡنَنَاۖ وَإِلَيۡهِ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ ١٥
So to that [religion of Allāh] invite, [O Muḥammad],1 and remain on a right course as you are commanded and do not follow their inclinations but say, "I have believed in what Allāh has revealed of scripture [i.e., the Qur’ān], and I have been commanded to do justice among you. Allāh is our Lord and your Lord. For us are our deeds, and for you your deeds.2 There is no [need for] argument between us and you.3 Allāh will bring us together, and to Him is the [final] destination."
3 translator’s notes
Another meaning understood from the Arabic is "So because of that [division and separation into sects], invite [them back to Allāh]..."
[1415] i.e., the consequences thereof.
[1416] Since the truth has been made clear and since those who refuse it do so only out of stubbornness or worldly interests.
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