Al-Jathiyah 45:26
The Crouching · Juz 25 · Page 501
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."
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Commentary on 45:24–27
وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ "...and nothing destroys us except time...(45:24) " The word dahr means ` time from the beginning of the world to its end'. It also refers to ` a very long period of time'. The atheists alleged that their life and death have nothing to do with Divine will and command. They happen under natural causes. Death is a process which they say they experience when their human limbs, organs and abilities diminish on account of constant use and, with the passage of time, the matter becomes dissolved and is destroyed; and that this is the be-all and end-all of human existence, there being no life hereafter. Likewise, life has nothing to do with Divine will and command. Life too, like death, happens under movement of material causes.
Reviling Time Is Inappropriate
Atheists believed that ` Time' is the cause of life, death, vicissitudes of conditions and adversities, and also the cause of the revolution of the entire universe. Every happening used to be attributed to ` Time' by them as indicated in this verse, whereas the fact is that everything happens with the Divine will and volition. Therefore, authentic Traditions prohibit reviling of time. The power which the unbelievers describe as ` time' is in fact the Divine power. When people curse or revile time for their adversities, they are in fact directing their reproach to Allah. The Messenger of Allah said: "Do not revile time because time actually is Allah." The ignorant who claim that a particular work was done by time is actually the work of Divine power - time is nothing. It does not necessarily follow from this proposition that ad-dahr is one of the names of Allah. Here Allah is referred to as ad-dahr metaphorically or figuratively.
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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.'"