Ma'arif al-Qur'an · Tafsir · in English
Al-Jathiyah 45:7–13
45:7–9Page 499
وَيۡلٞ لِّكُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٖ ٧
Woe to every sinful liar
يَسۡمَعُ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡهِ ثُمَّ يُصِرُّ مُسۡتَكۡبِرٗا كَأَن لَّمۡ يَسۡمَعۡهَاۖ فَبَشِّرۡهُ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٖ ٨
Who hears the verses of Allāh recited to him, then persists arrogantly as if he had not heard them. So give him tidings of a painful punishment.
وَإِذَا عَلِمَ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِنَا شَيۡـًٔا ٱتَّخَذَهَا هُزُوًاۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ مُّهِينٞ ٩
And when he knows anything of Our verses, he takes them in ridicule. Those will have a humiliating punishment.
وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ أَفَّاكٍ أَثِيمٍ ("Woe to every sinful liar... 45:7) " There are several views related to the background of revelation of this verse. Some Traditions relate that the verse was revealed in connection with Nadr Ibn Harith. Others report that it was revealed in connection with Harith Ibn Kaldah, and yet others feel it is about Abu Jahl and his comrades. (Qurtubi). There is no need to refer to a particular person in order to determine the meaning of a Qur'anic verse. The word کُل kull [ every ] refers to every person who bears the characteristics of the three persons who might have been in the background of the revelation of the verse.
45:10–11Page 499
مِّن وَرَآئِهِمۡ جَهَنَّمُۖ وَلَا يُغۡنِي عَنۡهُم مَّا كَسَبُواْ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا مَا ٱتَّخَذُواْ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ أَوۡلِيَآءَۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ١٠
Before them1 is Hell, and what they had earned will not avail them at all nor what they had taken besides Allāh as allies. And they will have a great punishment.
هَٰذَا هُدٗىۖ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٞ مِّن رِّجۡزٍ أَلِيمٌ ١١
This [Qur’ān] is guidance. And those who have disbelieved in the verses of their Lord will have a painful punishment of foul nature.
مِّن وَرَائِهِمْ جَهَنَّمُ "In front of them, there is Jahannam...45:10" The word وَرَاءِ war' in Arabic is mostly used in the sense of "behind" and occasionally used in the sense of "front". Most commentators have taken the word in this context to mean ` front' and we have translated it accordingly. However, some of the commentators have taken it in this context to mean ` back/behind' and interpreted it to mean that those who are living in haughtiness and arrogance, the fire of Hell is trailing behind/after them. (Qurtubi).
45:12–13Page 499
۞ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡبَحۡرَ لِتَجۡرِيَ ٱلۡفُلۡكُ فِيهِ بِأَمۡرِهِۦ وَلِتَبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ١٢
It is Allāh who subjected to you the sea so that ships may sail upon it by His command and that you may seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful.
وَسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا مِّنۡهُۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ١٣
And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth - all from Him. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.
Commentary
اللَّهُ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْبَحْرَ لِتَجْرِيَ الْفُلْكُ فِيهِ بِأَمْرِهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ ("Allah is the One who has subjugated for you the sea, so that you may seek His grace, ... 45:12) ". Generally, when Qur'an uses the expression ` to seek His grace' it refers to exerting oneself in seeking one's livelihood. Another meaning of the phrase could be that man has been given the skill to move the boats or pilot the ships on the surface of the waters so that he may carry out his commercial activities across the globe. It is possible that ` seeking grace' does not have anything to do with the sailing of the boats or the ships. Therefore, a third meaning is possible. ` Subjugating the sea' has a special meaning, that is, Allah has created many useful things in the sea and subjugated the sea for the benefit of mankind so that they may exploit the minerals and other wealth. Contemporary science confirms that the oceans and seas have much more minerals and much more wealth hidden in them than in the dry land.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences