بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Ash-Shuraa 42:2
The Consultation · Juz 25 · Page 483
عٓسٓقٓ ٢
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 42:1–6
If man were to be blessed with boundless vision, he would see with his own eyes that there is one God alone who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth in their entirety. His Power is so immense that the Universe, so to say, dreads it and bursts with fear. The angels, who are directly aware of God’s omnipotence, are awe-struck and continue to recite His praises at all times. Then man will also see that God, in exercise of His special powers, selects certain individuals as His messengers and sends them directly to mankind so that they may inform all God’s creatures of the truth. Although man does not see these facts directly, he can sense them indirectly by a process of reasoning. This is man’s real test. It is man’s responsibility to intuitively grasp those things which are not visible to his eyes. He should be able to recognise the voice of God in the voice of the prophets and bow down before it. He should accept the Unseen reality as if he were seeing everything with his own eyes. On the Day of Judgement, the excuse that one was not able to see the reality directly with one’s own eyes, will not be acceptable because, in this world of trial, it is not at all the divine intention to show reality directly. If the divine message reaches a person fully, in the eyes of God this is sufficient to conclude the process of argumentation.
Page 483
سورة الشورى
Ash-Shuraa
The Consultation · Meccan · 53 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
42:1
حمٓ ١
Ḥā, Meem.
42:2
عٓسٓقٓ ٢
ʿAyn, Seen, Qāf.1
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:1. ↩
42:3
كَذَٰلِكَ يُوحِيٓ إِلَيۡكَ وَإِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ٣
Thus has He revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], and to those before you - Allāh, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
42:4
لَهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ٤
To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.1
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:255. ↩
42:5
تَكَادُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتُ يَتَفَطَّرۡنَ مِن فَوۡقِهِنَّۚ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يُسَبِّحُونَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُونَ لِمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ أَلَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٥
The heavens almost break from above them,1 and the angels exalt [Allāh] with praise of their Lord and ask forgiveness for those on earth. Unquestionably, it is Allāh who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., from the grandeur of Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) above them. ↩
42:6
وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهُ حَفِيظٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيۡهِم بِوَكِيلٖ ٦
And those who take as allies other than Him - Allāh is [yet] Guardian over them; and you, [O Muḥammad], are not over them a manager -
42:7
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ قُرۡءَانًا عَرَبِيّٗا لِّتُنذِرَ أُمَّ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَهَا وَتُنذِرَ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡجَمۡعِ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهِۚ فَرِيقٞ فِي ٱلۡجَنَّةِ وَفَرِيقٞ فِي ٱلسَّعِيرِ ٧
And thus We have revealed to you an Arabic Qur’ān that you may warn the Mother of Cities [i.e., Makkah] and those around it1 and warn of the Day of Assembly, about which there is no doubt. A party will be in Paradise and a party in the Blaze.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., all other peoples. ↩
42:8
وَلَوۡ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَجَعَلَهُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ وَلَٰكِن يُدۡخِلُ مَن يَشَآءُ فِي رَحۡمَتِهِۦۚ وَٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ مَا لَهُم مِّن وَلِيّٖ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ ٨
And if Allāh willed, He could have made them [of] one religion, but He admits whom He wills1 into His mercy. And the wrongdoers have not any protector or helper.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., those who desire His guidance and His acceptance of them. ↩
42:9
أَمِ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۖ فَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلۡوَلِيُّ وَهُوَ يُحۡيِ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ ٩
Or have they taken protectors [or allies] besides Him? But Allāh - He is the Protector, and He gives life to the dead, and He is over all things competent.
42:10
وَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفۡتُمۡ فِيهِ مِن شَيۡءٖ فَحُكۡمُهُۥٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۚ ذَٰلِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ رَبِّي عَلَيۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡتُ وَإِلَيۡهِ أُنِيبُ ١٠
And in anything over which you disagree - its ruling is [to be referred] to Allāh. [Say], "That is Allāh, my Lord; upon Him I have relied, and to Him I turn back."1
1 translator’s note
- In remembrance and repentance. ↩