An-Najm 53:36
The Star · Juz 27 · Page 527
أَمۡ لَمۡ يُنَبَّأۡ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ ٣٦
Or has he not been informed of what was in the scriptures of Moses
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 53:36–37
أَمْ لَمْ يُنَبَّأْ بِمَا فِي صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِبْرَ‌اهِيمَ الَّذِي وَفَّىٰ (Has he not been told of what was [ revealed ] in the scriptures of Musa and of Ibrahim who fulfilled [ his covenant ]?... 53:36- 37) In verse [ 37], the Prophet Ibrahim I has been described by the expression waffa which is derived from the root word wafa' and it means to fulfill faithfully the covenant one has made with someone.
Special Characteristic of Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) : fulfillment of Covenant
Holy Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) had a covenant with Allah that he will obey Him and convey His Message to all the people. He fulfilled faithfully the covenant: He obeyed Allah and delivered His Message to His creatures. As a result, he was made to pass through severe trials and tribulations. This is the interpretation placed upon the expression waffa (fulfilled) by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir and others.
Several narratives describe particular works of Holy Prophet Ibrahim (علیہ السلام) as a purport of the expression waffa, but the two versions are not contradictory, because fulfillment of covenant is general. It comprehends acting upon all the Divine injunctions, obeying Allah in all actions, fulfilling the duties of Prophet-hood and messenger-ship and reforming the creation of Allah.
Let us consider the narrative which Ibn Abi Hatim has reported on the authority of Sayyidna Abu 'Umamah ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ recited the verse 37, and asked: Do you know what is the meaning of waffa (fulfilled)? Sayyidna Abu 'Umamah ؓ replied: Allah and His Rasul know best. The Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
وَفّٰی عَمَلَ یَومِیہٖ بِاَربَعِ رَکعَاتِ فِی اَوَّلِ النَّھَارِ ۔ (ابن کثیر)
"He fulfilled the day's work by starting it with the performance of four rak'at [ that is, salat-ul-ishraq ]."
This is supported by the Tradition recorded in Tirmidhi on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Dharr ؓ ، according to whom the Holy Prophet ﷺ said:
اِبنَ آدَم ارکَع لِی اَربَعَ رَکعَاتِ مَّن اَوَّلِ النَّھَار اَکفِکَ اٰخِرَہ، (ابن کثیر)
"0 Son of 'Adam! Perform four rak’ at of prayer in the early part of the day, I shall take of you in all your affairs till the end of the day."
Ibn Abi Hatim reports another Tradition from Sayyidna Muadh Ibn Anas ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: "Do you know why Allah gave Ibrahim علیہ السلام the title of al-ladhi waffa (the one who fulfilled)? Then, he said, 'Because he used to recite the following dhikr every morning and evening:
فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ حِينَ تُمْسُونَ وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُونَ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْ‌ضِ وَعَشِيًّا وَحِينَ تُظْهِرُ‌ونَ (ابن کثیر)
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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