At-Tur 52:33
The Mount · Juz 27 · Page 525
أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ تَقَوَّلَهُۥۚ بَل لَّا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٣٣
Or do they say, "He has made it up"? Rather, they do not believe.
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 52:21–36
The Believing Children of the Righteous will benefit from their relationship with their Believing Parents in Paradise
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُم بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ (And those who believed and their children followed them in belief, We will join their children with them,... 52:21) Sayyidna Ibn 'Abbas ؓ reports from the Holy Prophet ﷺ who said:
"Verily, Allah elevates the ranks of the believers' children to the rank of their parents, even though the latter do not deserve the same rank as their parents deserve, so that the eyes of the parents are comforted." (Hakim, al-Baihaqi in his Sunan, al-Bazzar, Abu Nu'aim in al-Hilyah, ibn-Jarir and ibn-Abi Haim as quoted by Mazhari [ Tr.])
It is recorded in Tabarani that Said Ibn Jubair (رح) reports "Sayyidna Ibn ` Abbas ؓ said, [ and I think he reports this from the Holy Prophet ﷺ :
"When a person enters Paradise, he will inquire about his parents, and wife and children [ as to where they are ]. He will be told that they have not attained your grade. [ Therefore, their place is elsewhere in Paradise ]. The person will say: '0 Lord! I had worked not only for myself, but for all of them.' Allah will command that they all be kept together with him in the same rank of Paradise." (Ibn Kathir)
Hafiz Ibn-Kathir, having quoted all these Traditions, says that it is certainly Allah's grace and favour that He grants the children this blessing because of the righteous deeds of their parents. He also grants His favour to parents on account of their children's praying Allah for them. Imam Ahmad (رح) has recorded that Sayyidna Abu Hurairah ؓ has reported the following statement of the Holy Prophet ﷺ .
"Verily, Allah shall elevate the grade of a righteous servant in Paradise, who will ask: '0 Lord! How did I earn this?' Allah will reply: 'Through your son's invoking Me to forgive you." (ibn-Kathir says that this Tradition has an authentic chain of transmitters, but was not recorded in Sahihain this way. However there is a corroborating narration (shahid) for it in Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah ؓ . [ Tr.])
وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُم مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ (...and will not curtail (the reward of) any of their deeds at all...52:21) The past perfect verb alatna is the first person plural of alata which literally means to decrease, to reduce or to diminish (Qurtubi). The verse means that for upgrading the children of the believers who died in the state of true faith, no part of the reward of their parents will be diminished for them to make up for the children's deeds. In fact, this equalization will take place as a result of Allah's grace.
Allah's Fairness to Sinners
كُلُّ امْرِئٍ بِمَا كَسَبَ رَهِينٌ (Every person will be pledged for what he earned.) After Allah mentioned His favour of elevating the children to the ranks of their parents, even though the deeds of the former did not qualify them, He affirmed His fairness in that, He does not punish anyone for the sins of others. Therefore, every person will be responsible for his actions. No sins committed by others shall ever be added to one's load, even if committed by his parents or children. (Ibn Kathir)
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52:32
أَمۡ تَأۡمُرُهُمۡ أَحۡلَٰمُهُم بِهَٰذَآۚ أَمۡ هُمۡ قَوۡمٞ طَاغُونَ ٣٢
Or do their minds1 command them to [say] this, or are they a transgressing people?
1 translator’s note
- In this expression is also a subtle allusion to the leaders of the Quraysh, who considered themselves to be great minds. ↩
52:33
أَمۡ يَقُولُونَ تَقَوَّلَهُۥۚ بَل لَّا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٣٣
Or do they say, "He has made it up"? Rather, they do not believe.
52:34
فَلۡيَأۡتُواْ بِحَدِيثٖ مِّثۡلِهِۦٓ إِن كَانُواْ صَٰدِقِينَ ٣٤
Then let them produce a statement like it, if they should be truthful.
52:35
أَمۡ خُلِقُواْ مِنۡ غَيۡرِ شَيۡءٍ أَمۡ هُمُ ٱلۡخَٰلِقُونَ ٣٥
Or were they created by nothing, or were they the creators [of themselves]?
52:36
أَمۡ خَلَقُواْ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَۚ بَل لَّا يُوقِنُونَ ٣٦
Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather, they are not certain.
52:37
أَمۡ عِندَهُمۡ خَزَآئِنُ رَبِّكَ أَمۡ هُمُ ٱلۡمُصَۜيۡطِرُونَ ٣٧
Or have they the depositories [containing the provision] of your Lord? Or are they the controllers [of them]?
52:38
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ سُلَّمٞ يَسۡتَمِعُونَ فِيهِۖ فَلۡيَأۡتِ مُسۡتَمِعُهُم بِسُلۡطَٰنٖ مُّبِينٍ ٣٨
Or have they a stairway [into the heaven] upon which they listen? Then let their listener produce a clear authority [i.e., proof].
52:39
أَمۡ لَهُ ٱلۡبَنَٰتُ وَلَكُمُ ٱلۡبَنُونَ ٣٩
Or has He daughters while you have sons?
52:40
أَمۡ تَسۡـَٔلُهُمۡ أَجۡرٗا فَهُم مِّن مَّغۡرَمٖ مُّثۡقَلُونَ ٤٠
Or do you, [O Muḥammad], ask of them a payment, so they are by debt burdened down?
52:41
أَمۡ عِندَهُمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبُ فَهُمۡ يَكۡتُبُونَ ٤١
Or have they [knowledge of] the unseen, so they write [it] down?
52:42
أَمۡ يُرِيدُونَ كَيۡدٗاۖ فَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ هُمُ ٱلۡمَكِيدُونَ ٤٢
Or do they intend a plan? But those who disbelieve - they are the object of a plan.
52:43
أَمۡ لَهُمۡ إِلَٰهٌ غَيۡرُ ٱللَّهِۚ سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ ٤٣
Or have they a deity other than Allāh? Exalted is Allāh above whatever they associate with Him.
52:44
وَإِن يَرَوۡاْ كِسۡفٗا مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ سَاقِطٗا يَقُولُواْ سَحَابٞ مَّرۡكُومٞ ٤٤
And if they were to see a fragment from the sky falling,1 they would say, "[It is merely] clouds heaped up."
1 translator’s note
- Marking the onset of Allāh's punishment, as they had requested. ↩
52:45
فَذَرۡهُمۡ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِي فِيهِ يُصۡعَقُونَ ٤٥
So leave them until they meet their Day in which they will be struck insensible -
52:46
يَوۡمَ لَا يُغۡنِي عَنۡهُمۡ كَيۡدُهُمۡ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا هُمۡ يُنصَرُونَ ٤٦
The Day their plan will not avail them at all, nor will they be helped.
52:47
وَإِنَّ لِلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ عَذَابٗا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٤٧
And indeed, for those who have wronged is a punishment1 before that, but most of them do not know.
1 translator’s note
- If not in this world, in the grave. ↩
52:48
وَٱصۡبِرۡ لِحُكۡمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعۡيُنِنَاۖ وَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّكَ حِينَ تَقُومُ ٤٨
And be patient, [O Muḥammad], for the decision of your Lord, for indeed, you are in Our eyes [i.e., sight]. And exalt [Allāh] with praise of your Lord when you arise
52:49
وَمِنَ ٱلَّيۡلِ فَسَبِّحۡهُ وَإِدۡبَٰرَ ٱلنُّجُومِ ٤٩
And in a part of the night exalt Him and after [the setting of] the stars.