Ma'arif al-Qur'an · Tafsir · in English
Ar-Rum 30:31–37
30:31Page 407
۞ مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيۡهِ وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَلَا تَكُونُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ ٣١
[Adhere to it], turning in repentance to Him, and fear Him and establish prayer and do not be of those who associate others with Allāh
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ (And establish Salah, and do not be among those who associate partners with Allah - 30:31). In the previous verse it was mentioned that the human nature is designed in a manner that it has an inherent capability to accept the Truth. Now in this verse it is emphasized that establishment of prayer is the first requisite for the acceptance of Truth, because it is the manifestation of submission to Truth and practical affirmation of Faith in Islam. After that, it is said وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ (30:31), that is, ` Do not join those indulging in shirk (associating others with Allah), because they did not avail of their natural capability to accept the Truth. Their misdeeds are mentioned in the next verse which says,
30:32–37Page 407
مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُواْ دِينَهُمۡ وَكَانُواْ شِيَعٗاۖ كُلُّ حِزۡبِۭ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ فَرِحُونَ ٣٢
[Or] of those who have divided their religion and become sects, every faction rejoicing in what it has.1
وَإِذَا مَسَّ ٱلنَّاسَ ضُرّٞ دَعَوۡاْ رَبَّهُم مُّنِيبِينَ إِلَيۡهِ ثُمَّ إِذَآ أَذَاقَهُم مِّنۡهُ رَحۡمَةً إِذَا فَرِيقٞ مِّنۡهُم بِرَبِّهِمۡ يُشۡرِكُونَ ٣٣
And when adversity touches the people, they call upon their Lord, turning in repentance to Him. Then when He lets them taste mercy from Him, at once a party of them associate others with their Lord,
لِيَكۡفُرُواْ بِمَآ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُمۡۚ فَتَمَتَّعُواْ فَسَوۡفَ تَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٤
So that they will deny what We have granted them.1 Then enjoy yourselves, for you are going to know.
أَمۡ أَنزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ سُلۡطَٰنٗا فَهُوَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يُشۡرِكُونَ ٣٥
Or have We sent down to them an authority [i.e., a proof or scripture], and it speaks of what they have been associating with Him?
وَإِذَآ أَذَقۡنَا ٱلنَّاسَ رَحۡمَةٗ فَرِحُواْ بِهَاۖ وَإِن تُصِبۡهُمۡ سَيِّئَةُۢ بِمَا قَدَّمَتۡ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ إِذَا هُمۡ يَقۡنَطُونَ ٣٦
And when We let the people taste mercy, they rejoice therein, but if evil afflicts them for what their hands have put forth, immediately they despair.
أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَبۡسُطُ ٱلرِّزۡقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقۡدِرُۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ٣٧
Do they not see that Allāh extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it]? Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.
مِنَ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا (Among those who split up religion and became sects - 30:32) that is, these disbelievers are those who have created a difference between Natural Faith and the true religion, or they have alienated themselves from the Natural Faith, as a result of which they are divided into different sects. شِيَعًا :Shiya'an is the plural of شِیعۃ shi` ah. A group of people following a leader is called shi ah. The fact is that the Natural Faith was based on the Oneness of Allah, by following which the entire human kind should have been one solid unit and one party. But it so happened that people split out from this unity and started following the personal views of their own leaders. Since the personal views and opinions of different people may always vary from person to person, different groups of people invented their own beliefs and religion. As a consequence, people were divided into various groups and sects, and the Shaitan made them believe that they were the only people on the right path كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ (Each group is happy with what it has before it - 30:32). That is, each group is happy and contended in its own beliefs and declare others being wrong, although they all are astray and treading the wrong path.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences