Al-Jathiyah 45:23
The Crouching · Juz 25 · Page 501
أَفَرَءَيۡتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٖ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمۡعِهِۦ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِۦ غِشَٰوَةٗ فَمَن يَهۡدِيهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ٱللَّهِۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ٢٣
Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allāh has sent him astray due to knowledge1 and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allāh? Then will you not be reminded?
1 translator’s note
- This can refer to Allāh's knowledge of that person and of his preference for his own inclinations or to that person's knowledge of the truth while he refuses it. ↩
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Commentary on 45:21–23
The Life and the Death of the Believers and the Disbelievers are not Equal
Allah the Exalted states here that the believers and the disbelievers are never equal. Allah said in another Ayah,
لاَ يَسْتَوِى أَصْحَبُ النَّارِ وَأَصْحَبُ الْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَبُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمُ الْفَآئِزُونَ
(Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire and the dwellers of the Paradise. It is the dwellers of Paradise that will be successful.) (59:20) Allah said here,
أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُواْ السَّيِّئَتِ
(Or do those who earn evil deeds think) those who commit and practice evil,
أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّلِحَتِ سَوَآءً مَّحْيَهُمْ وَمَمَتُهُمْ
(that We shall hold them equal with those who believe and do righteous good deeds, in their life and their death) treat them equally in the present life of the world and in the Hereafter
سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
(Worst is the judgement that they make.) `worst is the thought that they have about Us and about Our justice, thinking that We will ever make the pious and the wicked equal in the Hereafter or this life.' At--Tabarani recorded that Shu`bah said that `Amr bin Murrah narrated that Abu Ad-Duha said that Masruq said that Tamim Ad-Dari once stood in voluntary prayer through the night until the morning only reciting this Ayah,
أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُواْ السَّيِّئَتِ أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّلِحَتِ
(Or do those who earn evil deeds think that We shall hold them equal with those who believe and do righteous good deeds) Allah said in reply:
سَآءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
(Worst is the judgement that they make.) Allah said,
وَخَلَقَ اللَّهُ السَّمَوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضَ بِالْحَقِّ
(And Allah has created the heavens and the earth with truth,) meaning, in justice,
وَلِتُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لاَ يُظْلَمُونَ
(in order that each person may be recompensed what he has earned, and they will not be wronged.) Allah the Exalted said,
أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلَهَهُ هَوَاهُ
(Have you seen him who takes his own lust as his god), who abides by his lust, and whatever his lust portrays as good he implements it, and whatever his lust portrays as evil, he abandons it! Allah's statement,
وَأَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ
(And Allah left him astray with knowledge, ) has two meanings. One of them is that Allah knew that this person deserves to be misguided, so He left him astray. The second meaning is that Allah led this person astray after knowledge reached him and the proof was established before him. The second meaning includes the first meaning, but not the opposite. Allah said,
وَخَتَمَ عَلَى سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ عَلَى بَصَرِهِ غِشَوَةً
(and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight.) so he does not hear what benefits him, understands not what would lead him to the guidance and sees not the evidence with which he can be enlightened. This is why Allah said,
فَمَن يَهْدِيهِ مِن بَعْدِ اللَّهِ أَفَلاَ تَذَكَّرُونَ
(Who then will guide him after Allah Will you not then remember) Allah said in a similar Ayah,
مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ وَيَذَرُهُمْ فِى طُغْيَنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
(Whomsoever Allah sends astray, none can guide him; and He lets them wander blindly in their transgressions.) (7:186).
Page 501
45:23
أَفَرَءَيۡتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٖ وَخَتَمَ عَلَىٰ سَمۡعِهِۦ وَقَلۡبِهِۦ وَجَعَلَ عَلَىٰ بَصَرِهِۦ غِشَٰوَةٗ فَمَن يَهۡدِيهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ ٱللَّهِۚ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ ٢٣
Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allāh has sent him astray due to knowledge1 and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allāh? Then will you not be reminded?
1 translator’s note
- This can refer to Allāh's knowledge of that person and of his preference for his own inclinations or to that person's knowledge of the truth while he refuses it. ↩
45:24
وَقَالُواْ مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا ٱلدُّنۡيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحۡيَا وَمَا يُهۡلِكُنَآ إِلَّا ٱلدَّهۡرُۚ وَمَا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِنۡ هُمۡ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ ٢٤
And they say, "There is not but our worldly life; we die and live,1 and nothing destroys us except time." And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming.
1 translator’s note
- i.e., some people die and others live, replacing them. ↩
45:25
وَإِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتُنَا بَيِّنَٰتٖ مَّا كَانَ حُجَّتَهُمۡ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُواْ ٱئۡتُواْ بِـَٔابَآئِنَآ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ٢٥
And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, their argument is only that they say, "Bring [back] our forefathers, if you should be truthful."
45:26
قُلِ ٱللَّهُ يُحۡيِيكُمۡ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمۡ ثُمَّ يَجۡمَعُكُمۡ إِلَىٰ يَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٢٦
Say, "Allāh causes you to live, then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt, but most of the people do not know."
45:27
وَلِلَّهِ مُلۡكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَيَوۡمَ تَقُومُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ يَوۡمَئِذٖ يَخۡسَرُ ٱلۡمُبۡطِلُونَ ٢٧
And to Allāh belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. And the Day the Hour appears - that Day the falsifiers will lose.
45:28
وَتَرَىٰ كُلَّ أُمَّةٖ جَاثِيَةٗۚ كُلُّ أُمَّةٖ تُدۡعَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ كِتَٰبِهَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ تُجۡزَوۡنَ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٢٨
And you will see every nation kneeling [from fear]. Every nation will be called to its record [and told], "Today you will be recompensed for what you used to do.
45:29
هَٰذَا كِتَٰبُنَا يَنطِقُ عَلَيۡكُم بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا نَسۡتَنسِخُ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ٢٩
This, Our record, speaks about you in truth. Indeed, We were having transcribed1 whatever you used to do."
1 translator’s note
- By recording angels. ↩
45:30
فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ فَيُدۡخِلُهُمۡ رَبُّهُمۡ فِي رَحۡمَتِهِۦۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ ٣٠
So as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, their Lord will admit them into His mercy. That is what is the clear attainment.
45:31
وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَفَلَمۡ تَكُنۡ ءَايَٰتِي تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فَٱسۡتَكۡبَرۡتُمۡ وَكُنتُمۡ قَوۡمٗا مُّجۡرِمِينَ ٣١
But as for those who disbelieved, [it will be said], "Were not Our verses recited to you, but you were arrogant and became a criminal people?
45:32
وَإِذَا قِيلَ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقّٞ وَٱلسَّاعَةُ لَا رَيۡبَ فِيهَا قُلۡتُم مَّا نَدۡرِي مَا ٱلسَّاعَةُ إِن نَّظُنُّ إِلَّا ظَنّٗا وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمُسۡتَيۡقِنِينَ ٣٢
And when it was said, 'Indeed, the promise of Allāh is truth and the Hour [is coming] - no doubt about it,' you said, 'We know not what is the Hour. We assume only assumption, and we are not convinced.'"
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy