Al-Jathiyah 45:18
The Crouching · Juz 25 · Page 500
ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَٰكَ عَلَىٰ شَرِيعَةٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ فَٱتَّبِعۡهَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ١٨
Then We put you, [O Muḥammad], on an ordained way concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know.
Tafsir · in English
Tazkirul Quran
Brief · Short modern reflections on each passage.
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Commentary on 45:16–20
According to verse 16, God exalted the Children of Israel over the peoples of the world. This parallels what was said of the people (ummah) of the Prophet Muhammad, i.e. ‘You are the best ummah (nation)’ ( 3:110 ). To make a group the bearer of the Book of God is in fact making it responsible for guidance to other nations’ and it is in this sense that the community that bears the Book is superior to all nations. In principle, the Children of Israel were commanded to convey the message to the whole world, as is now the case with the Muslims. But the Children of Israel, by introducing deviations into their Book, lost this status forever. There is always uniformity in the authentic teachings of religion. But additions to them by scholars create differences and undue complexities. Then every scholar makes additions according to his taste. Thereafter every scholar and his followers set about proving their additions to be correct and others’ additions to be incorrect. In this way, religious sects start forming and finally a stage is reached when one religion becomes divided into several religions. When the Children of Israel distorted their revealed religion, God thereupon revealed the Quran through the Prophet Muhammad. Since no other prophet was to appear after him, God caused the Quran to be preserved and kept safe by special arrangements, so that it should never again happen that the religion of God be lost in the labyrinth of human additions.
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45:14
قُل لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ يَغۡفِرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يَرۡجُونَ أَيَّامَ ٱللَّهِ لِيَجۡزِيَ قَوۡمَۢا بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكۡسِبُونَ ١٤
Say, [O Muḥammad], to those who have believed that they [should] forgive those who expect not the days of Allāh [i.e., of His retribution] so that He may recompense a people1 for what they used to earn.
1 translator’s note
- In the Hereafter, where those who forgive will be rewarded and those who earned evil will be punished. This was at the outset of daʿwah (invitation to Allāh) before permission for jihād. ↩
45:15
مَنۡ عَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗا فَلِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَنۡ أَسَآءَ فَعَلَيۡهَاۖ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ تُرۡجَعُونَ ١٥
Whoever does a good deed - it is for himself; and whoever does evil - it is against it [i.e., the self or soul]. Then to your Lord you will be returned.
45:16
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحُكۡمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ وَرَزَقۡنَٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَٰتِ وَفَضَّلۡنَٰهُمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ١٦
And We did certainly give the Children of Israel the Scripture and judgement1 and prophethood, and We provided them with good things and preferred them over the worlds.
1 translator’s note
- Understanding of the law. ↩
45:17
وَءَاتَيۡنَٰهُم بَيِّنَٰتٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِۖ فَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفُوٓاْ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ بَغۡيَۢا بَيۡنَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقۡضِي بَيۡنَهُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخۡتَلِفُونَ ١٧
And We gave them clear proofs of the matter [of religion]. And they did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. Indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.
45:18
ثُمَّ جَعَلۡنَٰكَ عَلَىٰ شَرِيعَةٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡرِ فَٱتَّبِعۡهَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ أَهۡوَآءَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ١٨
Then We put you, [O Muḥammad], on an ordained way concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know.
45:19
إِنَّهُمۡ لَن يُغۡنُواْ عَنكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيۡـٔٗاۚ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٖۖ وَٱللَّهُ وَلِيُّ ٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ ١٩
Indeed, they will never avail you against Allāh at all. And indeed, the wrongdoers are allies of one another; but Allāh is the protector of the righteous.
45:20
هَٰذَا بَصَٰٓئِرُ لِلنَّاسِ وَهُدٗى وَرَحۡمَةٞ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُوقِنُونَ ٢٠
This [Qur’ān] is enlightenment for mankind and guidance and mercy for a people who are certain [in faith].
45:21
أَمۡ حَسِبَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱجۡتَرَحُواْ ٱلسَّيِّـَٔاتِ أَن نَّجۡعَلَهُمۡ كَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ سَوَآءٗ مَّحۡيَاهُمۡ وَمَمَاتُهُمۡۚ سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُونَ ٢١
Or do those who commit evils think We will make them like those who have believed and done righteous deeds - [make them] equal in their life and their death?1 Evil is that which they judge [i.e., assume].
1 translator’s note
- Another meaning is "...[the evildoers being] equal in their life and their death," i.e., unresponsive to guidance. ↩
45:22
وَخَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَلِتُجۡزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفۡسِۭ بِمَا كَسَبَتۡ وَهُمۡ لَا يُظۡلَمُونَ ٢٢
And Allāh created the heavens and earth in truth and so that every soul may be recompensed for what it has earned, and they will not be wronged.