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Which was revealed in Al-Madinah

The Virtues of Surah Alif Lam Mim As-Sajdah

In the Book of the Friday prayer, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Hurayrah said, "The Prophet used to recite in Fajr on Fridays:

(Alif Lam Mim. The revelation of...), As-Sajdah, and

(Has there not been over man...)Al-Insan (76)." This was also recorded by Muslim. Imam Ahmad recorded that Jabir said, "The Prophet would never sleep until he recited:

(Alif Lam Mim. The revelation of...), As-Sajdah, and

(Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion) Al-Mulk (67)."

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Qur'an is the Book of Allah in which there is no Doubt

We discussed the individual letters at the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah, and there is no need to repeat it here.

(The revelation of the Book in which there is no doubt,) means, there is no doubt whatsoever that it has been revealed

(from the Lord of all that exists.) Then Allah tells us about the idolators:

(Or say they: "He has fabricated it"): they say, he has fabricated it, i.e., he has made it up by himself.

(Nay, it is the truth from your Lord, so that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you, in order that they may be guided.) means, in order that they may follow the truth.

Allah is the Creator and Controller of the Universe

Allah tells us that He is the Creator of all things. He created the heavens and earth and all that is between them in six days, then He rose over the Throne -- we have already discussed this matter elsewhere.

(You have none, besides Him, as a protector or an intercessor) means, only He is the Sovereign Who is in control of all affairs, the Creator of all things, the Controller of all things, the One Who is able to do all things. There is no Creator besides Him, no intercessor except the one to whom He gives permission.

(Will you not then remember) -- this is addressed to those who worship others apart from Him and put their trust in others besides Him -- exalted and sanctified and glorified be He above having any equal, partner, supporter, rival or peer, there is no God or Lord except Him.

(He directs the command from the heavens to the earth; then it will go up to Him,) means, His command comes down from above the heavens to the furthest boundary of the seventh earth. This is like the Ayah,

(It is Allah Who has created seven heavens and of the earth the like thereof. The command descends between them, ) (65:12) Deeds are raised up to the place of recording above the lowest heaven. The distance between heaven and earth is the distance of five hundred years traveling, and the thickness of the heaven is the distance of five hundred years. Mujahid, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak said, "The distance covered by the angel when he descends or ascends is the distance of five hundred years, but he covers it in the blink of an eye." Allah says:

(in one Day, the measurement of which is a thousand years of your reckoning. That is He, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen,) meaning, He is controlling all these affairs. He sees all that His servants do, and all their deeds, major and minor, significant and insignificant, ascend to Him. He is the Almighty Who has subjugated all things to His control, and to Whom everybody submits, and He is Most Merciful to His believing servants. He is Almighty in His mercy and Most Merciful in His might. This is perfection: might combined with mercy and mercy combined with might, for He is Merciful without any hint of weakness.

The Creation of Man in Stages

Allah tells us that He has created everything well and formed everything in a goodly fashion. Malik said, narrating from Zayd bin Aslam:

(Who made everything He has created good) means, "He created everything well and in a goodly fashion." When Allah mentions the creation of the heavens and the earth, He follows that by mentioning the creation of man. Allah says:

(and He began the creation of man from clay.) meaning, He created the father of mankind, Adam, from clay.

(Then He made his offspring from semen of despised water.) means, they reproduce in this fashion, from a Nutfah which comes from the loins of men and from between the ribs of women.

(Then He fashioned him in due proportion,) means, when He created Adam from clay, He created him and gave him shape and made him upright.

(and breathed into him the soul; and He gave you hearing, sight and the sense of deduction.) means, reason.

(Little is the thanks you give!) means, for these strengths with which Allah has provided you; the one who is truly blessed is the one who uses them to worship and obey his Lord, may He be exalted and glorified.

Refutation of Those Who think the Resurrection is unlikely to happen

Allah tells us how the idolators thought it unlikely that the resurrection would ever come to pass, and how they said:

(When we are lost in the earth,) meaning, `when our bodies have been scattered and have disintegrated and dispersed in the earth,'

(shall we indeed be created anew) means, `after that, will we come back again' They thought it unlikely that this would happen, and in terms of their own feeble abilities it is indeed unlikely, but this is not the case with regard to the power of the One Who created them from nothing, Who when He wills a thing merely says to it, "Be!" and it is. Allah says:

(Nay, but they deny the meeting with their Lord!) Then Allah says:

(Say: "The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls...") The apparent meaning of this Ayah is that the angel of death is a specific personality among the angels, as is also apparent from the Hadith of Al-Bara' which we quoted in (our Tafsir of) Surah Ibrahim. In some reports he (the angel of death) is called `Izra'il, which is well known. This is the view of Qatadah and others. The angel of death has helpers. It was reported in the Hadith that his helpers draw out the soul from the rest of the body until it reaches the throat, then the angel of death takes it. Mujahid said, "The earth is brought together for him and it is like a platter from which he takes whenever he wants."

(Then you shall be brought to your Lord.) means, on the Day when you are resurrected and brought forth from your graves to receive your reward or punishment.

The Bad State in which the Idolators will be on the Day of Resurrection

Allah tells us the state of the idolators on the Day of Resurrection and what they will say when they see the Resurrection and are standing before Allah -- may He be glorified -- humiliated and brought low, with their heads bowed, i.e., in shame. They will say:

(Our Lord! We have now seen and heard,) meaning, `now we hear what You say and we will obey You.' This is like the Ayah,

(How clearly will they see and hear, the Day when they will appear before Us!) (19:38). And they will blame themselves when they enter the Fire, and will say:

("Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!") 67:10 Similarly, here they are described as saying:

(Our Lord! We have now seen and heard, so send us back) to the world,

(that we will do righteous good deeds. Verily, we now believe with certainty.) means, `now we are sure and we believe that Your promise is true and that the meeting with You is true.' But the Lord, may He be exalted, knows that if He were to send them back to this world, they would behave as they did previously, and they would reject and disbelieve in the signs of Allah and would go against His Messengers, as He says:

(If you could but see when they will be held over the (Hell) Fire! They will say: "Would that we were but sent back! Then we would not deny the Ayat of our Lord,") (6: 27) And Allah says here:

(And if We had willed, surely We would have given every person his guidance,) This is like the Ayah,

(And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together) (10:99).

(but the Word from Me took effect, that I will fill Hell with Jinn and mankind together.) i.e., from both classes, so their abode will be Hell and they will have no escape from it and no way out. We seek refuge with Allah and in His perfect Words from that.

(Then taste because of your forgetting the meeting of this Day of yours.) means, it will be said to the people of Hell by way of rebuke: `taste this punishment because you denied it and believed that it would never happen; you tried to forget about it and acted as if you had forgotten it.'

(Surely, We too will forget you,) means, `We will deal with you as if We have forgotten you,' but nothing escapes Allah's attention, and He makes the punishment fit the crime, as He says:

(This Day We will forget you as you forgot the meeting of this Day of yours) (45:34).

(so taste you the abiding torment for what you used to do.) i.e., because of your disbelief and rejection, as Allah says in another Ayah:

(Nothing cool shall they taste therein, nor any drink. Except Hamim, and Ghassaq) until:

(No increase shall We give you, except in torment) (78:24-30).