بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Al-Qalam 68:13
The Pen · Juz 29 · Page 564
عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ١٣
Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., claiming a particular lineage falsely. The description given in these verses is of al-Waleed bin al-Mugheerah (see also 74:11-25) or possibly, as asserted by Ibn Katheer, al-Akhnas bin Shurayq. ↩
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 68:10–15
لَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ ﴿10﴾ هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ ﴿11﴾ مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ﴿12﴾ عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ﴿13﴾
(And do not obey any contemptible one who swears much, a slanderer who goes about with calumnies, one who prevents good, [ and who is ] transgressor, sinful, harsh, [ and ] after all that, notorious,.. _68:10-13)
The word zanim refers to 'a person whose legitimate birth from a father is not proved'. The person referred to in this verse was of doubtful birth or his lineage was uncertain.
The preceding verse prohibited any compromise with the unbelievers in general in matters of religion. The current verse prohibits specifically yielding to such mean leader of falsehood as Walid Ibn Mughirah, who possessed the base characteristics as listed in verses [ 10] to [ 13], the worst mischief-maker. [ As transmitted by Ibn Jarir on the authority of Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Having described this person's bad manners and his arrogance in several verses that follow, verse [ 16] says:
سَنَسِمُهُ عَلَى الْخُرْطُومِ (We will soon brand him on the snout...68:16). That is, as, disbelievers, out of pride and false sense of power rejected the Divine Message in this world, Allah will disgrace and humiliate them on the Day of Resurrection so that the earlier and later generations will be able to see it. His nose has been described by way of reproach as khurtum (snout). This refers specifically to the long nose of a pig or a trunk of an elephant.
لَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ ﴿10﴾ هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍ ﴿11﴾ مَّنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ﴿12﴾ عُتُلٍّ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ﴿13﴾
(And do not obey any contemptible one who swears much, a slanderer who goes about with calumnies, one who prevents good, [ and who is ] transgressor, sinful, harsh, [ and ] after all that, notorious,.. _68:10-13)
The word zanim refers to 'a person whose legitimate birth from a father is not proved'. The person referred to in this verse was of doubtful birth or his lineage was uncertain.
The preceding verse prohibited any compromise with the unbelievers in general in matters of religion. The current verse prohibits specifically yielding to such mean leader of falsehood as Walid Ibn Mughirah, who possessed the base characteristics as listed in verses [ 10] to [ 13], the worst mischief-maker. [ As transmitted by Ibn Jarir on the authority of Ibn ` Abbas ؓ . Having described this person's bad manners and his arrogance in several verses that follow, verse [ 16] says:
Page 564
67:27
فَلَمَّا رَأَوۡهُ زُلۡفَةٗ سِيٓـَٔتۡ وُجُوهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَقِيلَ هَٰذَا ٱلَّذِي كُنتُم بِهِۦ تَدَّعُونَ ٢٧
But when they see it1 approaching, the faces of those who disbelieve will be distressed, and it will be said, "This is that for which you used to call."2
67:28
قُلۡ أَرَءَيۡتُمۡ إِنۡ أَهۡلَكَنِيَ ٱللَّهُ وَمَن مَّعِيَ أَوۡ رَحِمَنَا فَمَن يُجِيرُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ مِنۡ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٖ ٢٨
Say, [O Muḥammad], "Have you considered:1 whether Allāh should cause my death and those with me or have mercy upon us, who can protect the disbelievers from a painful punishment?"
1 translator’s note
- i.e., inform me. ↩
67:29
قُلۡ هُوَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ وَعَلَيۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡنَاۖ فَسَتَعۡلَمُونَ مَنۡ هُوَ فِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٖ ٢٩
Say, "He is the Most Merciful; we have believed in Him, and upon Him we have relied. And you will [come to] know who it is that is in clear error."
67:30
قُلۡ أَرَءَيۡتُمۡ إِنۡ أَصۡبَحَ مَآؤُكُمۡ غَوۡرٗا فَمَن يَأۡتِيكُم بِمَآءٖ مَّعِينِۭ ٣٠
Say, "Have you considered: if your water was to become sunken [into the earth], then who could bring you flowing water?"
سورة القلم
Al-Qalam
The Pen · Meccan · 52 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
68:1
نٓۚ وَٱلۡقَلَمِ وَمَا يَسۡطُرُونَ ١
Nūn.1 By the pen and what they inscribe,
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to 2:1. ↩
68:2
مَآ أَنتَ بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ بِمَجۡنُونٖ ٢
You are not, [O Muḥammad], by the favor of your Lord, a madman.
68:3
وَإِنَّ لَكَ لَأَجۡرًا غَيۡرَ مَمۡنُونٖ ٣
And indeed, for you is a reward uninterrupted.
68:4
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ ٤
And indeed, you are of a great moral character.
68:5
فَسَتُبۡصِرُ وَيُبۡصِرُونَ ٥
So you will see and they will see
68:6
بِأَييِّكُمُ ٱلۡمَفۡتُونُ ٦
Which of you is the afflicted [by a devil].
68:7
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ وَهُوَ أَعۡلَمُ بِٱلۡمُهۡتَدِينَ ٧
Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has gone astray from His way, and He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.
68:8
فَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلۡمُكَذِّبِينَ ٨
Then do not obey the deniers.
68:9
وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ ٩
They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you].
68:10
وَلَا تُطِعۡ كُلَّ حَلَّافٖ مَّهِينٍ ١٠
And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer
68:11
هَمَّازٖ مَّشَّآءِۭ بِنَمِيمٖ ١١
[And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -
68:12
مَّنَّاعٖ لِّلۡخَيۡرِ مُعۡتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ ١٢
A preventer of good, transgressing and sinful,
68:13
عُتُلِّۭ بَعۡدَ ذَٰلِكَ زَنِيمٍ ١٣
Cruel, moreover, and an illegitimate pretender.1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., claiming a particular lineage falsely. The description given in these verses is of al-Waleed bin al-Mugheerah (see also 74:11-25) or possibly, as asserted by Ibn Katheer, al-Akhnas bin Shurayq. ↩
68:14
أَن كَانَ ذَا مَالٖ وَبَنِينَ ١٤
Because he is a possessor of wealth and children,
68:15
إِذَا تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ءَايَٰتُنَا قَالَ أَسَٰطِيرُ ٱلۡأَوَّلِينَ ١٥
When Our verses are recited to him, he says, "Legends of the former peoples."