Ash-Shuraa 42:16
The Consultation · Juz 25 · Page 485
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُحَآجُّونَ فِي ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا ٱسۡتُجِيبَ لَهُۥ حُجَّتُهُمۡ دَاحِضَةٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ وَعَلَيۡهِمۡ غَضَبٞ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ شَدِيدٌ ١٦
And those who argue concerning Allāh after He has been responded to1 - their argument is invalid with their Lord, and upon them is [His] wrath, and for them is a severe punishment.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., after people have accepted the truth from Allāh, in an attempt to turn the believers away from His religion of Islām. ↩
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Commentary on 42:16–18
A Warning to Those Who dispute concerning Matters of Religion
Here Allah warns those who try to hinder those who believe in Allah, from following His path.
وَالَّذِينَ يُحَآجُّونَ فِى اللَّهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا اسَتُجِيبَ لَهُ
(And those who dispute concerning Allah, after it has been accepted,) means, those who dispute with the believers who have responded to Allah and His Messenger, and try to stop them from following the path of guidance.
حُجَّتُهُمْ دَاحِضَةٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ
(no use is their dispute before their Lord) means, it is futile before Allah.
وَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ
(and on them is wrath,) means, from Him.
وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ
(and for them will be a severe torment.) means, on the Day of Resurrection. Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, and Mujahid said, "They disputed with the believers after they responded to Allah and His Messenger, and tried to prevent them from following the path of guidance, hoping that they would return to Jahiliyyah." Qatadah said, "These were the Jews and Christians who said to them, `Our religion is better than your religion, our Prophet came before your Prophet, and we are better than you and closer to Allah than you. "' This was nothing but lies. Then Allah says:
اللَّهُ الَّذِى أَنزَلَ الْكِتَبَ بِالْحَقِّ
(It is Allah Who has sent down the Book in truth,) referring to all the Books which were revealed from Him to His Prophets.
وَالْمِيزَانَ
(and the Balance.) means, justice and fairness. This was the view of Mujahid and Qatadah. This is like the Ayat:
لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَتِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَبَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ
(Indeed We have sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and revealed with them the Scripture and the Balance that mankind may keep up justice) (57:25).
وَالسَّمَآءَ رَفَعَهَا وَوَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ - أَلاَّ تَطْغَوْاْ فِى الْمِيزَانِ - وَأَقِيمُواْ الْوَزْنَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلاَ تُخْسِرُواْ الْمِيزَانَ
(And the heaven He has raised high, and He has set up the Balance. In order that you may not transgress (due) balance. And observe the weight with equity and do not make the balance deficient.)(55:7-9)
وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ السَّاعَةَ قَرِيبٌ
(And what can make you know that perhaps the Hour is close at hand) This is encouragement (to strive) for its sake, a terrifying warning, and advice to think little of this world.
يَسْتَعْجِلُ بِهَا الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهَا
(Those who believe not therein seek to hasten it,) means, they say, `when will this promise be fulfilled, if you are telling the truth' But they say this by way of disbelief and stubbornness, thinking that it is unlikely to happen.
وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مُشْفِقُونَ مِنْهَا
(while those who believe are fearful of it) means, they are afraid of it happening.
وَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهَا الْحَقُّ
(and know that it is the very truth.) means, that it will undoubtedly come to pass, so they prepare themselves for it and strive for its sake. It was reported through various chains of narration, a number reaching the level of being Mutawatir, in Sahih and Hasan narrations, in the Books of Sunan and Musnad. According to some versions, a man addressed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a loud voice, when he was on one of his journeys, calling out to him, "O Muhammad!" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied in a similar manner, "Here I am!" The man said, "When will the Hour come" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
«وَيْحَكَ إِنَّهَا كَائِنَةٌ فَمَا أَعْدَدْتَ لَهَا؟»
(Woe to you! It will most certainly come. What have you done to prepare for it) He said, "Love for Allah and His Messenger." He said:
«أَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْت»
(You will be with those whom you love.) According to another Hadith:
«الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَب»
("A man will be with those whom he loves.) This is Mutawatir beyond a doubt. The point is that he did not answer his question about when the Hour would happen, but he commanded him to prepare for it.
أَلاَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُمَارُونَ فَى السَّاعَةِ
(Verily, those who dispute concerning the Hour) means, who dispute whether it will happen and think it is unlikely ever to come,
لَفِى ضَلَلَ بَعِيدٍ
(are certainly in error far away.) means, they are clearly ignorant, because the One Who created the heavens and the earth is even more able to give life to the dead, as Allah says:
وَهُوَ الَّذِى يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ
(And He it is Who originates the creation, then He will repeat it; and this is easier for Him) (30:27).
Page 485
42:16
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُحَآجُّونَ فِي ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا ٱسۡتُجِيبَ لَهُۥ حُجَّتُهُمۡ دَاحِضَةٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡ وَعَلَيۡهِمۡ غَضَبٞ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ شَدِيدٌ ١٦
And those who argue concerning Allāh after He has been responded to1 - their argument is invalid with their Lord, and upon them is [His] wrath, and for them is a severe punishment.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., after people have accepted the truth from Allāh, in an attempt to turn the believers away from His religion of Islām. ↩
42:17
ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَٱلۡمِيزَانَۗ وَمَا يُدۡرِيكَ لَعَلَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ قَرِيبٞ ١٧
It is Allāh who has sent down the Book in truth and [also] the balance [i.e., justice]. And what will make you perceive? Perhaps the Hour is near.
42:18
يَسۡتَعۡجِلُ بِهَا ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِهَاۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مُشۡفِقُونَ مِنۡهَا وَيَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهَا ٱلۡحَقُّۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُمَارُونَ فِي ٱلسَّاعَةِ لَفِي ضَلَٰلِۭ بَعِيدٍ ١٨
Those who do not believe in it are impatient for it,1 but those who believe are fearful of it and know that it is the truth. Unquestionably, those who dispute concerning the Hour are in extreme error.
1 translator’s note
- They had challenged the Prophet (ﷺ) to bring it on immediately. ↩
42:19
ٱللَّهُ لَطِيفُۢ بِعِبَادِهِۦ يَرۡزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡقَوِيُّ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ١٩
Allāh is Subtle1 with His servants; He gives provision to whom He wills. And He is the Powerful, the Exalted in Might.
1 translator’s note
- See footnote in 12:100. ↩
42:20
مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرۡثَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ نَزِدۡ لَهُۥ فِي حَرۡثِهِۦۖ وَمَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ حَرۡثَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا نُؤۡتِهِۦ مِنۡهَا وَمَا لَهُۥ فِي ٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ مِن نَّصِيبٍ ٢٠
Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter - We increase for him in his harvest [i.e., reward]. And whoever desires the harvest [i.e., benefits] of this world - We give him thereof, but there is not for him in the Hereafter any share.
42:21
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَكَٰٓؤُاْ شَرَعُواْ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا لَمۡ يَأۡذَنۢ بِهِ ٱللَّهُۚ وَلَوۡلَا كَلِمَةُ ٱلۡفَصۡلِ لَقُضِيَ بَيۡنَهُمۡۗ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ ٢١
Or have they partners [i.e., other deities] who have ordained for them a religion to which Allāh has not consented? But if not for the decisive word,1 it would have been concluded between them. And indeed, the wrongdoers will have a painful punishment.
1 translator’s note
- Decree. See footnote to 10:19. ↩
42:22
تَرَى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ مُشۡفِقِينَ مِمَّا كَسَبُواْ وَهُوَ وَاقِعُۢ بِهِمۡۗ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ فِي رَوۡضَاتِ ٱلۡجَنَّاتِۖ لَهُم مَّا يَشَآءُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمۡۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَضۡلُ ٱلۡكَبِيرُ ٢٢
You will see the wrongdoers fearful of what they have earned, and it will [certainly] befall them. And those who have believed and done righteous deeds will be in lush regions of the gardens [in Paradise] having whatever they will in the presence of their Lord. That is what is the great bounty.
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy