Al-'Alaq 96:8
The Clot · Juz 30 · Page 597
إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجۡعَىٰٓ ٨
Indeed, to your Lord is the return.
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Ma'arif al-Qur'an
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Commentary on 96:8
Verse [ 8] إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ (Surely to your Lord is the Return.) The word rufa, like bushra, is the verbal noun of infinitive - meaning all will be returning to their Lord. The apparent meaning is 'returning to the Lord after death and giving account of good and bad deeds and seeing with their own eyes the evil consequences of arrogance.' The profounder meaning of the verse is that though man has been endowed with great natural powers and has been created in the best make, he errs grievously if he thinks that he can ignore Allah's help and guidance. He constantly stands in need of Divine assistance, because his capacities and capabilities - either as an individual or in his collective capacity - are at best limited. The proud and arrogant man is thus not self-sufficient. If he thinks deeply, he will find that he needs Allah for every movement and pause. If He has apparently not made any member of the human species in need of another, he is at least in need of Allah for all his needs. Thinking that human beings are not in need of one another is also a fallacy. Allah has made man a social being, and as such he cannot satisfy all his needs by himself. Allah has made the social system or network such that all human beings need one another to satisfy their needs some time or the other. Let us consider an example: A fresh morsel of food that goes into our mouth and we swallow it unreflecting, is the result of thousands of human beings and animals who worked hard for a long period of time. It is not possible for anyone to engage so many thousands of human beings in his service. The same applies to clothes and other needs which require the services of thousands of millions of humans and animals to prepare the needful things. None of them is his servant. Even if he hires them at a rate of wages to work for him, it would not be possible for him to pay them their wages or salary. This secret or mystery dawns upon man when he realizes that the system of preparing all his needs is set into motion by the consummate wisdom of the Creator of the universe. He inspired someone to become a farmer, He cast into another's mind to become a woodcutter or a carpenter, He kindled in someone else's mind to become a blacksmith, He stimulated others to be content with labouring or working for somebody else, He ignited in others the burning desire to be involved in commerce or business, trade or industry. In this way, Allah has set up a bazaar of human needs which no government, nor its legal system or an individual could ever set up. A careful thinking along this line must lead us to the natural corollary that إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ (Surely to your Lord is the Return.", that is, we witness that ultimately all things are under Divine power and wisdom.
Page 597
سورة التين
At-Tin
The Fig · Meccan · 8 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
95:1
وَٱلتِّينِ وَٱلزَّيۡتُونِ ١
By the fig and the olive1
1 translator’s note
- Referring to the places known for their production, i.e., Damascus and Jerusalem, respectively. It could also refer to the fig and olive trees or to the fruits themselves. ↩
95:2
وَطُورِ سِينِينَ ٢
And [by] Mount Sinai
95:3
وَهَٰذَا ٱلۡبَلَدِ ٱلۡأَمِينِ ٣
And [by] this secure city [i.e., Makkah],
95:4
لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ فِيٓ أَحۡسَنِ تَقۡوِيمٖ ٤
We have certainly created man in the best of stature;1
1 translator’s note
- i.e., upright, symmetrical, and balanced in form and nature. ↩
95:5
ثُمَّ رَدَدۡنَٰهُ أَسۡفَلَ سَٰفِلِينَ ٥
Then We return him to the lowest of the low,1
1 translator’s note
- This can refer to the depths of Hell, to decrepit old age or to immorality. ↩
95:6
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ فَلَهُمۡ أَجۡرٌ غَيۡرُ مَمۡنُونٖ ٦
Except for those who believe and do righteous deeds, for they will have a reward uninterrupted.
95:7
فَمَا يُكَذِّبُكَ بَعۡدُ بِٱلدِّينِ ٧
So what yet causes you to deny the Recompense?1
1 translator’s note
- More literally, "What makes you lie concerning it?" ↩
95:8
أَلَيۡسَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَحۡكَمِ ٱلۡحَٰكِمِينَ ٨
Is not Allāh the most just of judges?
سورة العلق
Al-'Alaq
The Clot · Meccan · 19 ayahs
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
96:1
ٱقۡرَأۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ١
Recite in the name of your Lord who created –
96:2
خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِنۡ عَلَقٍ ٢
Created man from a clinging substance.
96:3
ٱقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ ٣
Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -
96:4
ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ ٤
Who taught by the pen –
96:5
عَلَّمَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ ٥
Taught man that which he knew not.
96:6
كـَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لَيَطۡغَىٰٓ ٦
No! [But] indeed, man transgresses
96:7
أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰٓ ٧
Because he sees himself self-sufficient.
96:8
إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجۡعَىٰٓ ٨
Indeed, to your Lord is the return.
96:9
أَرَءَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِي يَنۡهَىٰ ٩
Have you seen the one who forbids
96:10
عَبۡدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ ١٠
A servant when he prays?
96:11
أَرَءَيۡتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ ١١
Have you seen if he is upon guidance
96:12
أَوۡ أَمَرَ بِٱلتَّقۡوَىٰٓ ١٢
Or enjoins righteousness?
96:13
أَرَءَيۡتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ ١٣
Have you seen if he denies and turns away -
96:14
أَلَمۡ يَعۡلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ ١٤
Does he not know that Allāh sees?
96:15
كـَلَّا لَئِن لَّمۡ يَنتَهِ لَنَسۡفَعَۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ ١٥
No! If he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock1 –
1 translator’s note
- It may also mean "slap him" or "blacken his face at the forelock." ↩
96:16
نَاصِيَةٖ كَٰذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٖ ١٦
A lying, sinning forelock.
96:17
فَلۡيَدۡعُ نَادِيَهُۥ ١٧
Then let him call his associates;
96:18
سَنَدۡعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ ١٨
We will call the angels of Hell.1
1 translator’s note
- Those who push the wicked into the Fire. ↩
96:19
كـَلَّا لَا تُطِعۡهُ وَٱسۡجُدۡۤ وَٱقۡتَرِب۩ ١٩
No! Do not obey him. But prostrate and draw near [to Allāh].