An-Najm 53:33
The Star · Juz 27 · Page 527
أَفَرَءَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ ٣٣
Have you seen the one who turned away
Tafsir · in English
Ma'arif al-Qur'an
Detailed · A modern classic, with rulings and practical points.
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Commentary on 53:33
Background of Revelation
Ad-Durr-ul-Manthur reports from Ibn Jarir that a person embraced Islam and one of his friends rebuked him for having abandoned his forefather's religion. He responded that he fears Allah's chastisement. The friend told him to make a certain payment to him, and he will take upon himself his punishment of the Hereafter. Thus he [ the new Muslim ] will be spared from the chastisement, and consequently he made the payment to him. The friend demanded more payment. After a scuffle, he made the additional payment to him, and for the balance a document was drawn up with signatures of witnesses. That person, according to Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani, was Walid Ibn Mughirah who was inclined towards Islam. But his friend reproached him and took the responsibility of punishment upon his own shoulders.
أَفَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ (Did you see the one who turned away,… 53:33 word tawalla literally means 'to turn the face away', and it connotes in this context a person who turns away from Allah's obedience.
Page 527
53:27
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةَ تَسۡمِيَةَ ٱلۡأُنثَىٰ ٢٧
Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the angels female names,
53:28
وَمَا لَهُم بِهِۦ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍۖ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّۖ وَإِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغۡنِي مِنَ ٱلۡحَقِّ شَيۡـٔٗا ٢٨
And they have thereof no knowledge. They follow not except assumption, and indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all.
53:29
فَأَعۡرِضۡ عَن مَّن تَوَلَّىٰ عَن ذِكۡرِنَا وَلَمۡ يُرِدۡ إِلَّا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا ٢٩
So turn away from whoever turns his back on Our message and desires not except the worldly life.
53:30
ذَٰلِكَ مَبۡلَغُهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ ٣٠
That is their sum of knowledge. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who strays from His way, and He is most knowing of who is guided.
53:31
وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ لِيَجۡزِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسَٰٓـُٔواْ بِمَا عَمِلُواْ وَيَجۡزِيَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَحۡسَنُواْ بِٱلۡحُسۡنَى ٣١
And to Allāh belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth - that He may recompense those who do evil with [the penalty of] what they have done and recompense those who do good with the best [reward] -
53:32
ٱلَّذِينَ يَجۡتَنِبُونَ كَبَٰٓئِرَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡفَوَٰحِشَ إِلَّا ٱللَّمَمَۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَٰسِعُ ٱلۡمَغۡفِرَةِۚ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِكُمۡ إِذۡ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَإِذۡ أَنتُمۡ أَجِنَّةٞ فِي بُطُونِ أُمَّهَٰتِكُمۡۖ فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓاْ أَنفُسَكُمۡۖ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ ٣٢
Those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, only [committing] slight ones. Indeed, your Lord is vast in forgiveness. He was most knowing of you when He produced you from the earth and when you were fetuses in the wombs of your mothers. So do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.
53:33
أَفَرَءَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ ٣٣
Have you seen the one who turned away
53:34
وَأَعۡطَىٰ قَلِيلٗا وَأَكۡدَىٰٓ ٣٤
And gave a little and [then] refrained?
53:35
أَعِندَهُۥ عِلۡمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰٓ ٣٥
Does he have knowledge of the unseen, so he sees?1
1 translator’s note
- Knows that his provision will be exhausted if he spends on the poor, while Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā) has promised otherwise. ↩
53:36
أَمۡ لَمۡ يُنَبَّأۡ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ ٣٦
Or has he not been informed of what was in the scriptures of Moses
53:37
وَإِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٱلَّذِي وَفَّىٰٓ ٣٧
And [of] Abraham, who fulfilled [his obligations] -
53:38
أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٞ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰ ٣٨
That no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another
53:39
وَأَن لَّيۡسَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ ٣٩
And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives
53:40
وَأَنَّ سَعۡيَهُۥ سَوۡفَ يُرَىٰ ٤٠
And that his effort is going to be seen -
53:41
ثُمَّ يُجۡزَىٰهُ ٱلۡجَزَآءَ ٱلۡأَوۡفَىٰ ٤١
Then he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense -
53:42
وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡمُنتَهَىٰ ٤٢
And that to your Lord is the finality
53:43
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَضۡحَكَ وَأَبۡكَىٰ ٤٣
And that it is He who makes [one] laugh and weep
53:44
وَأَنَّهُۥ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحۡيَا ٤٤
And that it is He who causes death and gives life